Unearthing Sight
by defyingnormalcy
Summary: "She felt dizzy with want when she was near her, a want of nothing in particular but of simply more, a more that she didn't think she could ever truly satisfy, for more was everything. She wanted everything, and then some." Hobbs/Raydor set 10 years prior to the current events of Major Crimes.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:**_ _This story takes place in 2006, 10 years before the current events of season 4 of Major Crimes and about a year or so prior to the events of season 5 of The Closer. As such, it cancels out a lot of what we now know to be canon. That being said, the events of this fic are not so far off from the canon of Major Crimes that it would be considered AU. The main pairing is Andrea Hobbs/Sharon Raydor, with guest appearances by Gavin Baker and his partner. The rating of this fic will change later on to M. As always, if any of this isn't your cup of tea, please move on to another tea party as nonsense comments will not be tolerated. I must proclaim my unending gratitude to_ _ **kayryn**_ _(and her fabulously sassy cat_ _ **Boston**_ _) and_ _ **authorjazmyne**_ _for their support and suggestions as I was writing this; thank you thank you THANK YOU. On one final note: this started out as a 300 word ficlet to satisfy my need to take a quick dip back into the writing pool. The final result is much longer than that initial word count._

"Captain Raydor?"

The DDA's voice was impossibly empathetic and kind. Sharon turned to face her companion and noted that she took very controlled steps towards her until a bare few inches separated them; she also noted that the blonde's eyes seemed to dart between the floor and meeting Sharon's gaze.

Sharon's hands left the cool ceramic of the sink and took their place hastily wiping smeared mascara from under her eyes and smoothing down invisible fly-away hairs around her face. Her back straightened to a level of uncomfortable rigidness and her calves became taut with the effort to keep herself standing up. She felt a wave of embarrassment crash over her at being caught looking much less than her best by the, admittedly, very striking young woman who looked very authoritative in her navy blue pantsuit.

"Yes, DDA Hobbs, can I help you?"

"I think that ought to be my line," her companion responded.

Words from earlier, words she'd unintentionally heard, crept up from the back of her mind. The sneers and robust laughter, crude jokes, and crueler assumptions about her personal life, her capacity for love, and her commitment to her fellow officers filled her mind again. They were words that she'd heard and rebuffed countless times before, yet had been unable to shake off today, unable to stop them from slicing right through to her.

Sharon bit down, hard, on the tip of her tongue and drew from that sharp tool the faintest secretion of blood. Proof that she was, indeed, human. Proof that she was alive. Proof that this too would pass.

Next to her, DDA Hobbs nervously tucked a handful of thick, blonde hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. Sharon noted that a faint blush coloured the tops of her handsome cheekbones.

"Look, um, maybe this isn't very professional of me, but don't take anything that those hotheads say seriously. They're trigger-happy morons. I mean, I'm not saying that all cops are. Just those idiots," Hobbs clumsily said.

Sharon's eyes widened and her embarrassment grew. "I...I wasn't-"

"It's fine. I mean," Andrea said, tugging at the hem of her jacket "the men that I work with do it too. They like to think that they're so evolved and so enlightened, but the moment my boss acknowledges me for winning more cases than any of them, their misogyny comes out to play. It's quite amazing actually how quickly it takes for grown men to start acting like entitled children," she said dryly.

Sharon crossed her arms in front of her defensively. "I didn't realize that they were speaking loud enough for you to hear them in your interview room," she said quietly.

"They weren't. I was in the breakroom, actually, when it happened." Andrea's mind cruelly took the opportunity to note that Captain Raydor hadn't even registered her presence in the breakroom, despite her doing her absolute best to catch the captain's eye, like the crush-ridden idiot she was, before the lieutenants had gone off on their idiotic rants.

"I, uh, well..." She smiled sheepishly. "I needed a refill on my coffee, and they keep the good stuff in your breakroom...so…" she trailed off and cleared her throat. She certainly wasn't going to admit to Captain Raydor that the reason why she took the elevator up to her floor for her coffee break was, in fact, out of a foolishly placed sense of hope that the two of them might bump into one another. Nor was she going to admit that she was also foolish enough to hope that, just maybe, the captain might be enticed to exchange words with her outside of the scope of their work. "Anyway, I saw you quietly sneak out shortly after O'Brien started. I gave him an earful before I followed you out here. He is _such_ a prick," Andrea rambled.

Sharon looked up to meet DDA Hobbs' eyes and smiled. "You gave him an earful, huh?" she asked softly.

Andrea nodded silently.

"We've worked together on what...three cases? You barely know me," Sharon stated rather matter-of-factly. "I'm sorry, that sounded very ungrateful of me," Sharon amended. "What I meant to say was, I'm not used to that sort of...thoughtfulness. Especially not from people I work with.

"Well, I mean, we women have to look out for one another, right?" Andrea said. "And, anyway, we lawyers are always looking for a fight after all," she said, self-deprecatingly.

"Well... I... Thank you," Sharon said, still slightly stunned.

"Oh, yeah, don't mention it," Andrea said. "Um, you know, it was just the decent thing to do."

Sharon's hand reached out to briefly caress Andrea's biceps. "It was more than just decent. Thank you, DDA Hobbs," she said.

"Andrea," Hobbs amended. "DDA Hobbs… " Andrea shrugged her shoulders and furrowed her brow. "It's very formal. No one calls me by my first name around here, but I'd like it if you did." She inwardly cursed her fair complexion as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks and neck, creating an unmistakable blush to cover her skin from her collarbone and up.

"Well then, thank you, Andrea," Sharon said. "And please, do call me Sharon. You're right, we ladies have to support one another." She gently squeezed the younger woman's biceps one last time before excusing herself and exiting the restroom.

The moment the feisty captain left the confined space, Andrea let out a breath that she wasn't consciously aware of holding in. Her biceps burned where Sharon's hand had just been precious moments ago. She let her head fall back and her shoulders drop as she sighed, "Fuck me," in a low whisper.

She tucked her hair behind her ears nervously as she critically surveyed her reflection in the mirror. Her forehead was slightly damp from nervous sweat, and her cheeks and neck were magenta. "Pull yourself together," she muttered to herself before running cold water over her burning hands. After she was done drying them, Andrea used the paper towel to dab away the evidence of her nerve-stricken embarrassment around her temples and neck.

Her mind attempted to drift towards less distracting thoughts as she smoothed her frizzy hair out, but it was no use. The way that Captain Raydor's melodic voice had uttered her name occupied her thoughts completely.

"Straight and married, you idiot. Straight and married," she murmured to herself. She was no fool, she knew that the captain's surname was not the name she had been born into, and yet for whatever reason, her heart still wanted what her mind knew could never happen.

"Move on," she whispered as an order to herself as she took one last critical look in the mirror before stepping back out into the buzzing chaos of the LAPD Police Department.


	2. Chapter 2

"I heard that anyone wishing to gain safe passage into your domain must bring with them a worthy sacrifice."

Andrea looked up from the mountain of paperwork at her desk to find Captain Raydor leaning against her doorframe and looking rather amused while holding a very large cup of very delicious smelling coffee. The coffee was a much appreciated distraction away from the long, lean, and sinfully smooth legs of the captain, which were proudly on display thanks to the black pencil skirt that she was wearing.

"Is that…?" Andrea asked desperately.

Sharon merely smiled and saw herself into the small office.

"I haven't had a cup in _hours,_ " Andrea moaned as she took a healthy gulp of the offered beverage. "God that's good," she said as she leaned back in her chair and enjoyed the feeling of sweet, sweet caffeine coursing through her exhausted body. She willed her nose to concentrate on the welcomed aroma of the coffee rather than the tantalizing scent of the captain's perfume.

"Weren't you just in my breakroom two hours ago helping yourself to my officer's secret stash?" Sharon teased. She took a seat opposite Andrea at the desk.

"That was two hours ago," Andrea stated.

Sharon laughed. "Do I even want to know how much of this you drink on a daily basis?"

Andrea grimaced and rubbed her temple. "Probably not. I feel like such a revelation might come with a lecture, and seeing as I am currently working a Major Crimes case, I really can't deal with any lectures right now."

Sharon nodded her head knowingly. "I heard. I suppose I should offer my condolences?"

Andrea chuckled dryly. "You should."

With a quarter of her coffee already consumed, Andrea felt herself becoming sharper. She wasn't scheduled to meet with anyone in Internal Affairs this afternoon. In fact, her brief meeting this morning had been the first time in two weeks that she'd had any official contact with that department outside of her usual break room visits.

"Wait, was there a reason why you brought such a lovely gift to me?" she asked as her sleep-deprived brain caught up.

Sharon shrugged. "I just wanted to make your day a little less horrible. I know how much that can mean to a person when they're having an especially awful day. And you looked especially in need of cheering up after dealing with my team this morning," she said softly.

"Oh." Andrea fiddled nervously with the lid on the coffee cup. This wasn't the first time that the captain had been outstandingly friendly to her since their conversation in the restroom a few weeks ago. In fact, Andrea found herself frequently bumping into the captain into the captain, who seemed to spend a lot of time working in the breakroom rather than her private office lately.

Sharon smiled, and it made Andrea blush, much to the captain's secret delight. "You're welcome," Sharon said teasingly.

Andrea brought the coffee cup to her lips and murmured a sheepish thank you against the lid of the cup. Sharon was staring at her in a rather peculiar way, Andrea noticed. She didn't so much as look at Andrea as she did look _through_ her, unnerving Andrea and leaving her feeling uncomfortably raw. Despite having yearned for the brunette's attention during the last several months, Andrea felt that it was too much for her to handle now that she had the other woman's intense eyes on her.

She'd done this dance so many times with self-proclaimed straight women in the past. Her heart was tired and definitely not as young nor resilient as it used to be. She wasn't exactly sure what Sharon was playing at, but the increasing amount of time they spent interacting with each other had led Andrea to a realization she was quite sure of. While she had once wished for more time with the captain, more face-to-face time with the woman whose personality and charm she found irresistible, she now knew that that was in fact the opposite of what she needed.

"I, um, I have to be in court in an hour," Andrea said although it was a lie. Technically she had two hours.

"Of course," Sharon said, thankfully not picking up on Andrea's fib. "I'll leave you to it then."

Andrea felt her heart calm as Sharon exited the chair and made her way to the door of her office.

"Oh, Andrea, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to have dinner sometime? Surely your diet consists of something more than just coffee."

"Excuse me?" she squeaked into her coffee, then nibbled anxiously on the rim of the cup.

Sharon licked her lips and leaned against the doorframe once again. "Dinner. With me. This Friday," she said, slowly and with a great deal of mirth.

"Sure. Great," Andrea managed. "What time?"

"How about I pick you up from here at the end of the day since I now know which office is yours?" Sharon offered sweetly.

"Great," Andrea repeated.

"Do you have any dietary restrictions?" Sharon asked.

 _Fuck, why is this conversation not over?_ Andrea mentally screamed. "Nope. I'll eat anything," she said, hoping to encourage the captain to leave.

"Excellent. It'll be a surprise then, if you're comfortable with that?" Sharon asked.

"I love surprises," Andrea said, for once, hating herself a little for being so damn honest.

The captain flashed her one last knee-weakening smile before mercifully leaving the office and the flustered, regret-filled DDA it belonged to.

Andrea's hands were instantly reaching for her cell and searching for her latest text thread with Gavin.

 _SOS. Drinks tonight. My place._

 _...What's up? Are you okay?_

 _Yes. No. Need to talk. Having woman problems._

 _You've been having woman problems for the last 8 months, as I have rightfully been pointing out to you all this time. You need to go out and get laid. Please tell me that you've come to the same conclusion?_

 _I think that Sharon Raydor just asked me out on a date._

 _Well fuck me._

 _Exactly._

 _Fuck._

 _I know Gavin._

 _I'll bring the wine. See you at 7. xo_


	3. Chapter 3

"Spill. Now."

Andrea took the offered bottle from Gavin's hands as he walked confidently into her front foyer.

Within a few moments, both blonde-haired attorneys were seated on Andrea's couch, a glass of fine pinot grigio in each of their hands. Gavin waited patiently as Andrea indulged in a few sips before speaking.

"I don't want to go," she finally said.

"Okay," Gavin said slowly. "I do feel compelled to remind you that this definitely wouldn't have been your response a few days ago."

"I just..." Andrea breathed out a frustrated breath. "She's straight, Gavin. Very. Very. Straight. Like an arrow. But straighter."

Gavin nodded his head in agreement. "It certainly seems that way if we are considering what you've told me that you can discern of her past. However, sometimes that arrow curves, honey. I just think that you owe it to yourself to check it out."

Andrea fiddled with the stem of her wine glass and stared stubbornly at her own lap. "It's just, it's different now. Before I wasn't sure. Before I was an idiot with a hopeless crush. It was kind of exhilarating to toe the line and see what might happen," she admitted with a heavy breath. "But this is too much now."

"Look at me," Gavin requested as he sighed.

Andrea continued to stubbornly stare downward, but when she felt him squeeze her knee, she looked up to meet his gaze. "Yes."

"Andrea, you are an amazing woman, and I love you dearly," he told her her.

"Why do I get the feeling there's a but following that?"

Gavin gave her a small eye roll but continued on. " _But_ I'm going to give you some tough love, and I stress the word 'love' more than I do 'tough'. You've been pining for Sharon Raydor for months now, and we both know it's more than just a physical attraction. You're pretty fucking enamoured with her." Gavin left no room for her to dismiss what he said. "And, for once, I approve of your selection. She's smart as hell, and she's just as much of a career-woman as you are. You two seem to be stupidly compatible."

"Except that she's just as straight as I am _not_ straight," Andrea pointed out again.

"Look, she's obviously not that straight considering she eye-fucked you in your own office and wants to have dinner with you on Friday," Gavin said exasperatedly. "You want to know what I really think?"

Andrea nodded.

"I think you're scared shitless," he said, giving her the honesty she had wanted and knew she could count on him to give. "This is the first time since, since, you know..." Gavin faltered, not wanting to bring up Andrea's ex-partner's name for fear of upsetting her even more. He chose his words carefully as he tried again. "It's been some time since you've had real, strong feelings for someone. And now that she's shown mutual interest, I think you're having flashbacks to how painful this whole dance can be. And I think you would rather end things before they've even begun to spare yourself the pain."

Andrea blinked and frowned, Gavin's words were having a harder impact on her than she expected. Her face was noticeably red from the effort it took for her to hold in the tears that were making her eyes glossy.

"I don't blame you for not wanting to go through it all over again. But sweetheart, you can't cut yourself off from meaningful relationships for the rest of your life. A life without love is a long lonely road. Do you really want to take that journey all alone?"

"It's just.." Andrea's voice cracked and she cleared her throat. "One second she was giving me coffee, and then the next she was looking at me the way that Jen used to. And I don't know how, but the eight years we spent together totally flashed before me. And I just got this feeling that it was all going to happen again, but that it could be even worse this time because I have never fallen into this trap so quickly before. I don't know if I can go through all of that again. And maybe you're right – maybe I am trying to kill this before it has the chance to kill me – but maybe I'm also just better off alone," she said dejectedly, her tone slightly questioning.

Gavin put his wineglass down on his designated coaster on Andrea's coffee table. He scooted forward a bit on her couch so that he could put his arm up on the top of it and gently rub Andrea's tense shoulder. "Then why not just tell her no outright? Why not just say to her that you're happily unpartnered and want to keep it that way?" he asked.

Andrea put her wineglass down as well and brought her knees up to her chin. "Because a part of me, a very foolish and self-destructive part of me, wants her so badly that I'll willingly walk through fire to have her." She hastily rubbed her eyes as a few angry tears slipped out. Gavin's touch against her shoulder became firmer when he noticed.

"Oh, my darling, this is eating you up inside," he sighed.

"That fucking woman," Andrea laugh-cried. Her hands rubbed stubbornly at her eyes.

"If you really would rather not, if you think that it would be too painful, then don't go. But be fair to Sharon and call her. You can't hold her responsible for crimes she hasn't committed yet," Gavin reasoned.

Andrea shrugged noncommittally.

"Or," he continued, "if there is anything I know about you, it's that you kick fear in its ass and you're going to go on this date with her."

"Am I that transparent?" Andrea asked bitterly.

"Just to me," Gavin said fondly. "I think you need to be honest with Sharon from the beginning. She needs to understand where you're coming from."

Andrea laughed. "Oh, right. I'll just start our date out by explaining that my ex-partner left me after eight years together to run off with the person she had been fucking behind my back for the last two of those eight years and I've become a paranoid emotional fool in my old age. That's going to go over wonderfully."

Gavin snorted. "Old age? Calm down Ms. I'm Freaking Out Because The Dreading 4-0 Is Creeping Up. She's older than you."

Andrea waved it off. "By what, three years? Hardly counts."

"Ummm more like eleven years," Gavin said; a devious smile crept onto his face. "Wait? I know something about your crush that you don't? This is delicious!" Gavin laughed and shook his head. "Darling, I regret to inform you, you've totally become _that_ lesbian who dates older, authoritative women."

Andrea blushed fiercely and nudged Gavin in the ribs. "I am not. I... Wait, how the hell is she... How do you know?"

Gavin shrugged. "Oh, I happened to be working for an officer in her division a few years back. He was suing his ex-father-in-law or something, anyway," he drawled. "He skipped out early on a meeting of ours, said that a few of the guys were getting a cake because the only lady in the department - freshly divorced, I might add - was celebrating her forty-fifth birthday and they were all hoping to, well, _you know_ , look _favourable_ to her and her newly divorced self. You helped me figure out only recently that she's the only lady in the sausage-fest that is Internal Affairs."

Andrea did the math mentally and blushed. Goddamn Sharon Raydor and her sinfully alluring, and apparently, age-repelling body. "Divorced? Oh I didn't... She's..." Andrea shook her head. "Nevermind. That' all so beside the point."

"Maybe she got divorced because she came to her senses and realized that she doesn't like men and instead likes women. Maybe she just didn't like that one particular guy anymore." Gavin shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows? I really don't know the woman. But from what you have told me, she seems pretty reasonable."

"She is," Andrea agreed.

"So, just be honest with her. Ask her where she see's this date going, what she is looking for right now in a companion. And then tell her what you want and need. If everything aligns, great! Take that hottie to bed and don't come up for air for a few days. If it doesn't, well, then at least you know," Gavin said.

"That's another thing." Andrea paused, swallowing. "I haven't had sex with anyone since…" Andrea trailed off and her whole face glowed red.

Gavin choked back his laughter. "Oh god, not since...?" he asked. Andrea shot a glare at him and he put his hands up in defence. "Look, I'm not judging. You needed to do what you needed to do after Jen. I am all for slutting it up after a crappy breakup."

Andrea let her head fall back as she groaned. Two months after things had fallen apart with Jen, Andrea had allowed her former college roommate and close friend talk her into joining her on a five day ladies-only cruise. Worse still, Andrea had listened to Rochelle's well-meant but ultimately awful advice and had spent the five days mingling and sleeping with women nearly half her age. The sex had been sloppy, unfulfilling, and tinged with the smell of too much alcohol and pot. The whole experience left her feeling old, empty, and seasick.

"Okay, that doesn't count," Gavin tried helpfully.

Andrea lifted her head back up. "So the dry, unfilling, and ultimately fake sex I had with my ex our last year together prior to that clusterfuck of a vacation does?" she said dryly.

Gavin pursed his lips and then shook his head. "Look, the dry spell is only going to get longer unless we take affirmative action."

"Affirmative, right," Andrea mumbled.

She let her head fall back until it hit the back of her couch again and sighed. The next few days until Friday were going to be the longest of her life, of that, she was certain.


	4. Chapter 4

"You look beautiful."

Andrea peeked her head up from behind the menu to find Sharon staring at her with a wide grin. Their private booth sat them next to one another in a semi-circular cushioned bench. Her proximity to her date was nearly overwhelming.

The restaurant that Sharon had taken her to was a little French bistro just outside of the downtown core. The outside of the restaurant had the charming, rustic feel of Paris, yet the inside was all clean lines and sleek, eclectic art pieces on the walls. Andrea had to admit to herself that Sharon absolutely knew how to pick out a good spot.

"Thank you," Andrea said. She felt a certain warmth spread through her limbs at Sharon's compliment - one that she hadn't felt in far too long.

"I didn't want to say anything when I picked you up, because, well, I think it's good to keep our professional lives separate, but I do love you in this colour," Sharon said softly as she eyed the baby blue of Andrea's blouse.

Their server chose that moment to come by to take their respective orders and retrieve their menus. With nothing left to shield her from Sharon's piercing gaze, Andrea willed herself to look her companion in the eyes. Looking into Sharon's eyes while still feeling so incredibly overwhelmed by how close they were to each other only intensified the feelings that had led to her needing the menu as a small barrier between them in the first place.

Andrea quietly cleared her throat and let her eyes slowly fall from Sharon's intense gaze; one that she could _feel_ caressing her body. Instead, Andrea allowed her eyes to trace the deep v-neck of Sharon's dress; the black material exposed more skin than Andrea was used to seeing. Now that Sharon's dark purple blazer had been removed, Andrea had the opportunity to take in even more of the alluring sight that was Sharon Raydor. She bit the inside of her cheek and quickly forced her eyes away and onto something else.

When her eyes met Sharon's once again, she found herself saying, "You look amazing." Her compliment made Sharon smile shyly, and Andrea felt her usual bravado starting to slowly make its appearance again. "I was, um." She cleared her throat again and took a steadying breath. "I was wondering if we could talk," she started.

"Well, I was hoping that we could. Otherwise dinner might be a bit awkward," Sharon countered. Her tone was light and good natured enough that Andrea could feel that she was at ease around Andrea.

"Right," Andrea looked down and chuckled. "Of course."

"Go ahead," Sharon encouraged.

Andrea looked up and straightened her shoulders. "I would like to know why you asked me out to dinner tonight?"

Sharon lifted her eyebrow and reached for her wine. She took a thoughtful sip of her merlot before regarding Andrea once more. "How honest an answer can you handle?" she asked quietly.

Andrea felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle with excitement. "I'm a big girl," Andrea said.

"You certainly are," Sharon said as her eyes began a heated journey down Andrea's body. Her gaze slowly swept back up, making Andrea's skin grow warmer beneath her silk blouse. From the way Sharon's eyes moved across her body, it wouldn't be that far-fetched of an idea to believe that she was seeing right through the fabric of Andrea's clothing. "I think it's rather obvious, at least I hope it is, that I find you very attractive. You are a stunning woman, Andrea."

Sharon spoke slowly, her voice smooth, intimate in their private booth. She watched Andrea's face as she took a moment to let what she had said settle. She measured the effect that her words had on Andrea, took in the sight of lips parting ever so slightly so Andrea's tongue could make a quick appearance as it dampened her lips.

"You're also an incredibly kind woman. Your gesture a few weeks ago," Sharon continued, "that was the first time in months that I felt like someone in that building looked at me and treated me like I was human. And I know what you'll say, that you were just being decent. But it was more than that. You made me smile for the rest of that day. It's been a very long time since anyone could make me feel that way."

Sharon leaned closer to Andrea in their private space, and Andrea could discern the delicate woody citrus of her perfume. It was a pleasant smell, one that she found quite intoxicating. Sharon's eyes darted towards her lips, not for the first time, and Andrea added that to the ever-growing list of things she was finding intoxicating about Sharon during their date.

"I can't explain it, but suddenly you were on my mind constantly and I found myself often looking for signs of your presence in my division. The more often I saw you, the more I wanted to get to know you. I'll admit, I was worried that I might not be your type," she said, and at this, she grinned and blushed. "I kept looking for signs that, well, you might be interested in..." Sharon cleared her throat and smiled again.

"In women?" Andrea finished.

She nodded. "Yes. And also in a..." Sharon started, but she paused and pressed her lips together thoughtfully for a moment, looking as though she was searching for a particular word. When she spoke again, it was with careful pronunciations and a soft tone. "In a mature woman. I, uh, I realize I am a little overqualified to be considered your contemporary. I'm not sure if that might be a deterrent for you." Sharon averted her eyes once the delicate admission was out.

Andrea licked her lips and shifted slightly so that her knee gently grazed Sharon's. She couldn't help but notice a flicker of doubt when Sharon had drawn attention to the age gap between them, but rather than prod, Andrea simply filed that bit of information away for later.

"It's not. I'm incredibly interested," Andrea said, and even she could hear how breathless her words sounded.

Sharon crossed her one leg over the other and angled her body so that she was completely facing Andrea. She could feel the younger woman's gaze darting from her eyes to the swell of her cleavage and the long lines of her bare legs; she felt something heavy and warm in her belly before it spread throughout her limbs rapidly, like wildfire.

"So, I suppose I don't need to ask you the same question then?" Sharon asked hopefully.

"Not really, no. But I do need to ask you something else, and I hope that you'll let me explain myself a little." Andrea waited for Sharon's approving nod before continuing. "I don't want to be the one who brings up baggage on the first date, but, regrettably, I will be."

Sharon straightened up in her seat a little, still leaning in and paying close attention to Andrea.

Having Sharon's complete attention, her attentive eyes focused only on Andrea, she went on with the topic she knew she needed to bring up. "I don't have the best track record, and suffice it to say, I was in a longterm relationship with a woman who had never dated women before me. For the last two of our eight years together, she was having an affair with our accountant. Eventually, she ran off with him because, for a multitude of reasons, being with him was easier than being with me." Andrea nervously tucked her hair behind her ears. "Therefore, I hope you can appreciate my, well, hesitance."

"Are you asking me if you are the first woman that I've taken an interest in?" Sharon asked amusedly.

Andrea exhaled roughly. "It sounds intrusive, and I do apologize. I just need to know what I am getting myself into before, before I get too involved and end up discarded again," she finished quietly.

Sharon considered Andrea's explanation before responding, "You're not. Far from it, actually. Do you require an immediate demonstration of this fact, or will my word suffice?" Sharon said, and it took a moment for Andrea to realize that she was teasing her.

"I'm not really a sex-on-the-first-date kind of a gal," Andrea said, deciding that she would play along. "Though I would certainly love a raincheck, maybe at a later date, if this develops the way we both want?"

Her comment made Sharon laugh out loud. "I think we can arrange that."

Andrea laughed in response, and she felt a bit of her anxiety about the whole evening begin to abandon her. "Tell me about yourself," she requested.

"What would you like to know?"

 _Everything._ "What would you like to tell me?"

Sharon hummed and her eyes sparkled playfully. "If your reputation is correct, you've already done your homework about me from a professional standpoint. So I'll tell you about my family. I have two children; they're 19 and 18, and they're both in college at the moment. My son is studying to become a computer engineer, and my daughter is studying to become a ballerina. Emily is in New York. Ricky is in Massachusetts."

"That must be hard," Andrea sympathized.

"I miss them," Sharon admitted. "But I am equally proud of both of them because they're pursuing their dreams, and they do regularly call their mother to make sure that I'm still alive," she joked. "Their father, my ex-husband, he isn't really around, hasn't been for the last ten years. I kept the Raydor name because the children were still young when we divorced, and travelling with minors while holding a different surname can be tricky. And at this point I've had it for so long, it seems strange to go over two decades back in time. And truthfully, I'm not the same woman that I was back then. My unmarried name would feel foreign to me. This name at least connects me to my children."

"I'm sorry," Andrea said. Her parents had been happily married for the last 48 years and had never once contemplated divorce. Andrea knew how fortunate she was to have grown up in a happy home full of stability and love. Divorce and single parenthood were things that she was in no way acquainted with.

Sharon waived off Andrea's apology. "Don't be. I have two amazing children who I love dearly, a career that I am immensely proud of, and a squad full of ungrateful officers who fear me. I could be far worse off."

"How have they been lately?" Andrea asked.

"Well, they get a bit pale anytime I make a call to the DA's office," Sharon said, prompting Andrea to smile guiltily. "Don't you dare apologize. It gives me great pleasure to be able to elicit that reaction from them."

"I wouldn't dare deny you such a pleasure," Andrea responded seriously.

Their meal arrived rather promptly, and their conversation tapered off a bit as they each enjoyed their food. By the time dessert and coffee came, conversation was flowing freely once again and each woman had settled more comfortably into their setting.

"I don't think I can eat another bite," Sharon moaned as Andrea offered her a fork of her cheesecake. She stretched her back, causing the already tantalizing view of her breasts to become downright scandalous.

Andrea licked the remnants of her desert off of her fork and slowly dragged her eyes up to meet Sharon's, which were alight with bemusement. She carefully set her fork down on the table and reached for Sharon's hand, which was resting on the white linen tablecloth.

"I've had a wonderful time tonight. And I hope that you can forgive my earlier rudeness," she said.

Sharon's hand turned over in Andrea's grasp and pulled it down to rest atop her lap. Her other hand encircled Andrea's wrist and began gently tracing the delicate bone. "All is forgiven. I understand that you must have gone through a great deal of heartache and that experience is still too fresh to be forgotten completely."

Andrea regarded how perfectly their hands seemed to fit together on Sharon's thigh. She also noted how cool to the touch Sharon's hands were, and how wonderfully that contrasted with the warmth of Sharon's leg.

"I would like to forget it. It's been over a year now, it's time for me to move on. More importantly, I want to move on," Andrea said.

Sharon laced their fingers together; with her other hand, she reached out to play with an errant strand of hair that has escaped from behind Andrea's ear. "Andrea, I very much want to continue getting to know you. But I don't want to push you into anything that you're not ready for," Sharon said carefully.

Andrea closed her eyes and revelled in the feeling of Sharon's fingertips combing through her hair. She felt tiny pricks of pleasure dance from the top of her head down to the aching heat in her belly. She opened them again to find Sharon staring at her mouth; both longing and self-restraint were evident in her gaze.

As fate would have it, their server took that exact moment to walk by their table and sheepishly remind them that their two hour reservation was coming to an end. The nervous young man presented them with a bill, which Sharon insisted on taking.

"I asked you out," she reasoned.

"Yes but you already bought me a coffee," Andrea argued.

Sharon laughed. "That hardly counts. If you feel so inclined, you can treat me to dinner next time. If you would like," she said, her confidence faltering a little.

Andrea waited for their server to hand Sharon's credit card back to her before she placed a warm hand on her shoulder. Sharon dropped her purse back on the cushioned seat and looked up at Andrea expectantly.

Andrea's hand travelled with agonizing languidness up Sharon's neck to gently cup her chin. Her thumb traced the outer boundary of Sharon's lower lip, silently begging for permission. Sharon's lips parted slowly and Andrea moved forward, softly brushing her lips against Sharon's. It was an introduction, a soft meeting of two bodies both taut with longing for one another, of tender lips afraid to be too bold but afraid to let go just yet. It was fleeting.

 _It was perfect_.

"I most certainly would," Andrea whispered against Sharon's mouth, answering her question and squashing her doubt. She felt Sharon smile against her lips and she pulled back slightly just to see the happiness spilling out from her sparkling green eyes.

Were Andrea able to see out of those beautiful orbs, she would recognize the same anxious, yet elated expression on her own face.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh my goodness, you didn't tell me that you were a bibliophile."

Andrea closed her oven and rested her mittens on the kitchen counter before seeking out the location of her guest. As much as she had enjoyed the little French bistro that Sharon had picked out for their first date, Andrea wanted the chance to spend some time with her away from the scrutiny of others. It sounded silly perhaps, but Andrea wanted Sharon all to herself tonight.

"Is there anything that you don't have here?" Sharon mused as her fingertips traced the sturdy spines of the rows and rows of books on display in Andrea's study.

When Andrea had invited her over for dinner, a part of Sharon had panicked. Would Andrea be taking her up on that raincheck so soon? The week between their first date and tonight had been bridged with coffee dates and phone calls that seemed to last entire evenings. In fact, Sharon realized with with a fond smile, she hadn't gone a single day without connecting with Andrea in some small way.

She had learned that Andrea had an unparalleled wit and a wonderfully dry sense of humour. It was clear, though, that there was also a deeper, emotional side to the younger woman that she had not yet been granted full access to but found herself desperately yearning to discover. She'd caught the barest of glimpses at it – when they'd shared a newspaper together over a morning coffee break and Andrea had offered her opinion on the headline of the day, when her lips had pursed together in an effort not to burst out laughing when Sharon mentioned something ridiculous or amusing.

 _God those lips_. It took all of Sharon's collective strength not to take a step forward and surrender herself over to the heaven that was Andrea's lips whenever they were together. She couldn't help it – couldn't help herself. She wanted Andrea, wanted her with a primal passion and urgency that shocked even her. Would Andrea want her with equal fervour?

She wanted to know everything that made Andrea burst out laughing just as desperately as she wanted to know everything that made Andrea tremble with need. The young woman was an enigma to Sharon. She was endlessly fascinating, and Sharon felt a gravitational pull towards her whenever they were near. She knew that she ought to be at least partially frightened by how rapidly she was falling for Andrea, but her heart refused to allow her mind to reign supreme on this particular issue.

"Oh, that. Yeah," Andrea chuckled from the doorway. She leaned against the frame and sighed contently. "I have a thing for hardcovers especially."

Sharon turned to look at Andrea and tilted her head. Andrea was dressed in the same dark grey sleeveless dress from court today, which had given Sharon a chance to admire Andrea's beautifully sculpted legs. She had, however, discarded the navy blue blazer, which in turn exposed her surprisingly well-toned arms to Sharon's eager eyes. The sight of Andrea looking so at ease in both her own skin and her own environment stoked the flame that was burning deep within Sharon. It was only after a prolonged silence that Sharon dragged her eyes away from Andrea's delicious biceps and found herself looking into the eyes of a very amused looking DDA.

She cursed inwardly and cleared her throat. "Show me which one is your favourite," she requested, hoping that Andrea might forget how depravedly Sharon had just been staring at her, how desperate Sharon probably looked, hoping that Andrea might want to stand nearer to her.

Andrea wasn't impervious to the look that Sharon had been giving her since, well, since she'd opened her door to her earlier this evening. She was loathe to admit it even to herself, and certainly not to Gavin, who had been pestering her for details all week long, but his choice word to describe her feelings for Sharon, _enamoured,_ was certainly fitting. Every interaction with the captain left her wanting more, yet she struggled to define what exactly 'more' meant. She longed to feel the smooth skin of Sharon's legs beneath her hands just as fiercely as she longed to hear Sharon's laughter spill out from her lungs and fill her home. She wished that she could hear the sound vibrate between her walls and linger in the air. She felt dizzy with want when she was near Sharon, want of nothing in particular but of _more,_ a more that she didn't think she could ever truly satisfy, for more was everything. She wanted everything, and then some.

Andrea walked over to her and reached for a novel just to the left of Sharon's hip. Her eyes never left Sharon's as her hand blindly felt for the familiar, worn leather spine that she so loved. Their hips were a scant few inches apart. Andrea needed only to move one step closer to pin Sharon against the rich mahogany selves and the sweet, firm curves of her own body.

"Found it," Andrea breathed, and Sharon was, for a moment, transported back to their brief kiss at the end of their first date just last week. Her lips tingled with the memory of Andrea's saccharine taste.

Andrea stepped back and Sharon found the air rushing back to her lungs again.

"It's an oldie but a goodie. I actually even have a few of his poems memorized." Andrea handed the heavy volume over to Sharon, and Sharon hummed when she read the title.

"I didn't realize that you were so sentimental," she teased. She'd heard of Pablo Neruda of course, but had never actually gotten around to reading him.

"Neruda isn't sentimental. Romantic, sensual, even carnal at times, yes. He's deliberate with his words and likens his love and need for his lover with the very necessaries of life - food, water, shelter. His lover's embrace, her skin, her kisses are the reason why his blood flows and why his heart beats," Andrea whispered. She'd taken a step forward again. Her hands reached out, on either side of Sharon to grasp the lacquered wood of the self directly behind them.

"Forgive me. I didn't realize that you had such a sensual way with words," Sharon breathed. Andrea's nose gently grazed her cheekbone. She could feel Andrea's warm breath tickle her exposed collarbone.

"I wish I had a way with words that even slightly resembled his ability," Andrea said. Her lips grazed the impossibly soft skin of Sharon's jaw and she felt Sharon trembling beneath her.

"I think you're doing just fine," Sharon groaned. Her entire body was alight with desire; her skin buzzed with anticipation. Her nerves were screaming, imploring, begging Andrea to touch her and never stop touching her.

Agonizing moments passed, and then Andrea's hips were pressing firmly against her and she could feel Andrea's breasts press against her own. She was sure that there was no other feeling so welcome and yet so overwhelming at the same time. She could feel herself becoming more aroused than was likely proper for a woman of her age and for the tone of their date, and she found that she truly did not care. It was glorious.

"Recite something for me. I've never read his work," Sharon whispered. She angled her head so that her lips brushed against Andrea's jaw and she felt the younger woman's skin flush.

" _I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair._

 _Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets._

 _Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day_

 _I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps."_

Andrea's lips recited ravenous words as her hands slid from the self to grasp Sharon's sides. Firm hands travelled down from her ribcage to grip her wanton hips. At the end of each line, Andrea's tongue darted out to lick across Sharon's collar, followed by a brush of her lips against that same spot. Each touch, each movement, brought her closer to Sharon's erratically beating pulse in her neck, each connection of their libidinous flesh became firmer, longer, more delicious, and more needed.

" _I hunger for your sleek laugh,_

 _your hands the colour of a savage harvest,_

 _hunger for the pale stones of your fingernails,_

 _I want to eat your skin like a whole almond."_

Blood pounded in Sharon's ear and quickly evaporated from her extremities, causing her to drop Andrea's beloved book and anchor herself desperately to the backs of Andrea's biceps.

" _I want to eat the sunbeam flaring in your lovely body, -"_

Sharon moaned – it was a desperate plea for more, precious more. A plea that did not go unanswered for, within sparse seconds, Andrea's mouth was crashing down on hers. Andrea's tongue was ardently beseeching Sharon's lips to part and grant her entrance.

Sharon surrendered to the liquid heat that engulfed her body. Every sensuous movement of Andrea's tongue and lips melted away any remaining solidarity left in her limbs, leaving only raw, unadulterated need. Andrea's one hand left its spot on Sharon's hip to hike her skirt up and caress her inner thigh, causing a tremor so fierce to rip through Sharon that Andrea had to react by pressing their hips even closer together just to keep them from falling.

Panting, Andrea willed herself to break free from the heaven that was Sharon's mouth. "Still want to hear the rest of it?" she asked.

"Show, don't tell," Sharon grunted as she covered Andrea's hand with her own and shoved it further up her skirt to feel the silken heat that Andrea had inspired. Andrea's fingers rubbed Sharon through the lace panties she'd selected for tonight, and Sharon's head snapped back. Waves of fierce, demanding pleasure sliced through her nerves, setting her alight. Her hands sunk into the mass of golden blonde hair and roughly guided Andrea's mouth back -

The indignant chiming of Sharon's phone doused them in disgruntled, shivering irritability.

"Fuck," Sharon screeched. She felt hot, frustrated tears well up at the corner of her hazy eyes.

Andrea's hand fell from its exquisite spot and as she stepped back, causing Sharon's body to slump down a few inches against Andrea's bookshelf.

"I'll grab it, could be urgent," Andrea muttered. As she left Sharon to get the ringing phone, the reality of their demanding jobs crashed into her like cool waves on a hot, humid beach.

Sharon's chest was heaving and her neck was wet from where Andrea's mouth had been. However, that was nothing compared to the sticky dampness that Sharon could feel coating the apex of her thighs.

She felt Andrea pushing her still-ringing phone into her hands and she hastily cleared her throat before flicking her cell open and answering. "Captain Raydor," she barked.

Andrea ran her hand through her tousled hair and leaned against the desk in her study as she listened to Sharon becoming more and more aggravated by the call.

"Just don't touch anything. I'll be there in twenty minutes," she snapped before ending the call and tossing her phone onto the polished surface of Andrea's desk. She looked devastated as she turned to face Andrea. "I am so, so sorry." Her voice faltered. "There has been an officer involved shooting and -"

"I understand," Andrea interrupted. "Really, Sharon. It's fine."

Sharon licked her lips and pulled at the hem of her cardigan. "I know we talked about this briefly, and I know we're still getting to know each other, but... I'm not sorry to say that I really didn't want that to get interrupted just now."

"Me neither," Andrea admitted. "That was... I didn't want it to end either. But, maybe, maybe it was for the best?"

Sharon faltered. "Y-you think so?"

"I pushed you up against my bookshelf and was about to-" Andrea stopped herself from completing her sentence with her first choice words. "It wouldn't have been very comfortable for you."

"I don't mind a little discomfort," Sharon countered.

Andrea bit her lower lip. "I meant, um, afterwards. When we'd both come to our senses again."

"Oh." Sharon paused. "Andrea, I want you to know, I don't regret a thing that we've done, or said, thus far," Sharon asserted.

"Neither do I. I just... I really like you, Sharon. I really enjoy spending time with you, and the time that we have spent together has been amazing. But it's been fast, and that's a little intimidating. Things have never progressed this quickly before," she explained. "I'm used to having a little more time to come to terms with the changes in the relationship."

"That's fair," Sharon conceded. "I'm sorry, I've been incredibly forward and-"

"No, I have been too. Don't apologize," Andrea said hastily. "I want you, I do. Please don't think that it's one-sided. I just..." She let out a quiet breath and ran a hand through her hair. "I want to take my time with you. I'm better when I can take my time. But part of me has other ideas..."

"Okay," Sharon said.

Andrea shrugged. "It's also been a while for me and, um, I want this to count for something." She cringed at her words. "That didn't come out right…"

Sharon's eyes widened in realization. "No, it's fine. I understand." She walked two steps closer to Andrea and took her hand into her own, softly squeezing and stroking with her thumb, hoping to convince her that she truly did understand. She offered Andrea a reassuring smile as she said, "Really, I get it."

Sharon's cell beeped indicating that a text message had come through, causing Sharon to sigh and Andrea to check the time on her watch. "I, I don't mean to push you out of my home, but you're going to be late," she noted.

"I'm leaving, I promise," Sharon said. She grabbed her cell and allowed Andrea to lead her back to the front door.

As Andrea handed Sharon her jacket and purse, she offered, "If you do finish up tonight, you're welcome to come back. The lasagna is just about ready, and you'll need to have dinner at some point."

Sharon smiled warmly. "Thank you, though I have a feeling that I'll be locked up in Internal Affairs all evening."

"Right, of course," Andrea said as she opened the door for Sharon.

She stood there, with the door open and the cool summer breeze seeping into her pores until Sharon's car disappeared at the end of her street. Begrudgingly, she closed the door and shuffled back to her kitchen where she indulged in yet another evening of fine dining, alone.

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"Sarah can you please remind me what time Judge Grove switched my Hothrow case to tomorrow?" Andrea requested as she breezed past one of the DA's Administrative Assistants.

Her tone was a little sharper than usual – she would apologize to Sarah later for that. Her evening had been a tumultuous affair, and thanks to her little poetry slam with Sharon, she had been unable to find restful sleep.

"Of course. Would you also like for me to send a thank you note to your clients?" The young woman followed Andrea into her office with her notepad in hand, ready to jot down further instructions from the DDA.

"For what?" Andrea asked, perplexed.

"The flowers they sent you?" Sarah responded. She pointed out the crystal vase to the bewildered DDA. "They came in this morning. I assume that you'd like for us to send a thank you note?" she asked again.

"No, that's fine. Thank you, Sarah. I'll be with you in a minute. I just need to take a personal call quickly."

Sarah nodded and closed the door on her way out of her boss' office.

The vase was low and simple, clear and cubed, yielding white roses, peach stock, burgundy mini carnations, and plum mini calla lilies with heather stems. Tapped to the vase was a handwritten card.

 _Thank you for a lovely - albeit brief - evening. I'm so sorry that I got called out to a case, and I hope that you'll allow me to make it up to you._

 _P.S. I'm glad that I waited for you to be the one to formally introduce me to Neruda._

 _Sharon._


	6. Chapter 6

"Oh my, is this the impossibly hard to get ahold of Andrea Hobbs? You're welcome for your birthday flowers by the way."

Andrea grimaced. "I'm sorry. I know, it's been a while and I deserve the shit you're about to give me," Andrea said as she stretched out on her couch and tucked her cell between her ear and her shoulder. "And thank you for my lovely roses. They're beautiful. I have them on my dresser."

"You're welcome. I will forgive everything if you start giving me some dirty details right now."

"Oh come on, I don't kiss and tell. You know that."

"So you admit it! There is actually kissing to tell about?"

Andrea rolled her eyes. She could just picture Gavin's smug face parading around his house. "Well, yes. Some." She was eternally grateful that Gavin wasn't actually in front of her, because she couldn't stop the smile that stretched out across her face.

"Oh come on. That's not fair. I hear about all the crap and none of the good stuff." Andrea could practically hear his lips pouting through his words.

"Fine. We've kissed, and got a little handsy a few times. It was good. Very good. Incredibly good. Better than it had any right to be kind of good," Andrea conceded.

She felt herself getting hot just at the memory of how amazing Sharon's mouth had felt, the way her breasts felt pressed up against her own. They had made out, collectively, for less than fifteen minutes, yet it had fuelled her imagination for the past two weeks, causing her to wake up in the middle of nearly every night wet and aching for Sharon. She clenched her thighs together as the memory of how wet and ready Sharon had felt beneath her fingertips for those brief, few seconds before they'd been interrupted two weeks ago. She remembered how amazing Sharon's breasts had felt in her palms last week when Sharon had dropped Andrea off at the end of their night and neither one of them could keep their hands to themselves a second longer in Sharon's tiny car. To be fair, more of their encounters had been less heated, and while Andrea appreciated their commitment to a more conservative pace, her body yearned to connect with Sharon like that again.

"Earth to Andrea?"

Andrea cleared her throat - and her hyperactive imagination. "Yeah I'm here."

"You are _so_ smitten!" Gavin laughed. "I am so thrilled for you. Have you gotten to your third date yet?"

"Yes, Gavin, and no, we're not following that stupid third date rule. And anyway, it's still only been like a month. It's still pretty fresh."

"Daniel and I did it within the first thirteen days," he scoffed, "and we're doing just fine three years later."

"Yes, thank you my dear friend for that daily reminder," she said, rolling her eyes again. "Trust me, the want is there, on both sides. We'll get there, sooner than you'd like to give me credit for," she said pointedly.

"Mmmhm, sure thing," Gavin teased. "So does Ms. Better Than Good know that it's your birthday today?"

"No, well, I didn't tell her. I don't know. It's weird. What do I do? Call her up and say 'oh, by the way, it's my birthday today therefore you are obligated to acknowledge the tremendous occasion of my birth'?"

"I circled the date on Daniel's calendar and told him that's when I expected my delivery of birthday sex, but hey, that's just me."

Andrea laughed. "You did not! That poor man. How does he put up with you?"

"All I am saying is that you're cheating yourself out of the chance to find out if you're dating a true romantic or not."

"I'll live Gavin. If we're still together this time next year, then I'll let her know then." Realization hit Andrea suddenly. "And Gavin, you are under no circumstances allowed to contact her and tell her."

"Fine. I swear that I shall not, from this moment forward, contact her in any way."

"Why do you sound so smug?" Andrea asked. She was almost afraid of the answer.

"Oh well, will you look at the time, Daniel has dinner ready and I'm being summoned. Bye, my darling. Don't spend your whole night alone!"

Andrea stared in disbelief at her cell before tossing it onto her coffee table and reaching for her television remote control. As she flipped through a few channels, she considered what kind of takeout she might like to treat herself to tonight. She was considering sushi versus butter chicken when she heard an unmistakable knock at her door.

"Sharon?" Andrea said in disbelief as she let her guest in. "Not that I am not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?"

Sharon kicked her shoes off and hung her coat up in Andrea's closet before walking over to Andrea and kissing her. "Happy birthday," she murmured against Andrea's lips.

"Oh my god, he called you," Andrea said, absolutely mortified.

Sharon cupped Andrea's chin and kissed her blushing cheek. "Rather late this afternoon I received a fax from a, and I quote, Notorious Friend of Andrea Hobbs, indicating that today was your birthday and that you would likely stubbornly refuse to tell me but I should give you until this evening anyway just in case you had a revelation and changed your mind. I like this friend of yours by the way."

"He's awful," Andrea blurted out, though she looked properly ashamed. "I'm not really into my birthday," she defended, "And I didn't really know how to bring it up to you."

Sharon took Andrea's hand and led her back to Andrea's couch. "Well, you could have started out with something like, hey Sharon, my birthday is coming up! This is the date so you don't have to feel like the world's worst girlfriend for working the entire day with me and having absolutely no clue."

"I suppose I could have," Andrea mumbled, "I didn't want you to feel obligated." The use of the term 'girlfriend' certainly wasn't lost on Andrea, in fact, she quite liked it.

"What did you think I was going to do?" Sharon laughed. She curled up next to Andrea on the couch and drew her legs up and tucked them under her bottom. "Do you have a blanket?" she asked, "It's freezing in here."

"Of course. Here," Andrea grabbed a wool throw and draped it over Sharon's legs. "And I don't know? I just... I didn't want you to feel like you had to do anything. It's not that big of a deal," she insisted stubbornly.

Sharon burrowed under the blanket and hummed contently. "Much better, thank you. And what do you mean it's not a big deal? It's a celebration of the day that you were born. I can't think of a bigger deal to be honest."

Andrea crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't like huge gestures."

"Did you think I was going to write Happy Birthday Andrea Hobbs all over the walls of your office? With little hearts?" Sharon asked pointedly. "I would have _liked_ to bring you breakfast this morning, a birthday cupcake, maybe, and some coffee. And I would have _liked_ to take you out to dinner or cook for you tonight. And I might have _liked_ to have had more than two hours notice so that I could have planned all of this and made it special for you."

"But you don't have to do any of that," Andrea argued.

"You're right. I don't. I would have _liked_ to do all of that. Because I care about you, and whether you want to acknowledge your birthday or not, I am personally very grateful for the day you were born because now, 39 years later, I get to spend my evening with your enchantingly stubborn self."

 _Oh._ Andrea blushed. She opened her mouth to reply, but then frowned and dropped her gaze. She didn't know what to say and couldn't handle Sharon's piercing gaze right now.

She heard Sharon huff in annoyance and looked up. Sharon rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Stop being so...enticing. I'm trying to be annoyed with you."

"Sorry?" Andrea offered.

Her big blue eyes looked overwhelmingly guilty and Sharon couldn't help but lean forward and kiss Andrea. It was a brief kiss, full of both affection and exasperation.

"I thought we were annoyed?" Andrea asked as they parted.

"I am very annoyed," Sharon confirmed as she leaned forward to kiss Andrea again. "But you're also very hard to stay annoyed at for long."

This time, when Sharon leaned in for a kiss, Andrea took control and slowed them both down. She felt Sharon smile against her lips, and that's when she knew that she'd truly been forgiven. Still, for good measure, she uttered another apology when Sharon leaned her head against Andrea's shoulder.

"I forgive you," Sharon sighed. Andrea's hand began to run through her hair; she arched into Andrea's touch and hummed. "That feels nice," she said.

"Good." Andrea kissed the top of Sharon's head. "Sushi or butter chicken?" Andrea asked. "I was debating between the two. Do you have a preference?"

"Mmm, sushi? I haven't had that in quite some time."

Andrea reached for her cell and dialed the number from memory. "You okay with a boat? I'm kind of starving. Is there anything that you don't like?"

"No, that's fine. I eat it all. If anything looks particularly strange you can have it."

Andrea made quick work of ordering their meal, then went to the kitchen to set the table. She gave strict instructions to Sharon to stay put on the couch while she adjusted the thermostat to accommodate Sharon's uncommonly low body temperature. She heard the heater kick in, followed by a flood of heat throughout her townhouse and reacted by removing her sweater and pulling her hair up into a sloppy bun.

She was contemplating which wine might go best with their takeout when she felt Sharon's hands caress her lower back.

"You didn't have to turn the heat on," Sharon said. She did this adorable thing where she scrunched her nose up and looked rather guilty.

Andrea pulled Sharon into a proper embrace and kissed the top of her head. "Don't want you freezing to death on me," Andrea said. "I'll be fine, if I need to, I'll put a pair of shorts on."

Sharon's hands absentmindedly stroked Andrea's biceps and Andrea grinned knowingly, recalling a conversation they'd had during a casual lunch date last week.

" _Do you do yoga?" Sharon asked, her voice was one pitch slightly higher than usual and her eyes couldn't quite meet Andrea's face._

 _Andrea finished chewing the mouthful of chicken before answering, "Oh, yeah. I've been doing it for a few years now. I used to be much more into it; I signed up for four classes a week after things kind of fell apart in my personal life. It was a great distraction and counteracted all of the emotional eating that I was doing," she explained. "Why?"_

 _Sharon took a careful sip of her lemon water. "Oh, nothing, just..." She shook her head, searching for an excuse. "A friend of mine was trying to get me to do it. But I prefer to swim," she said lamely._

Sharon's hands didn't stop at Andrea's biceps however, they travelled up to Andrea's shoulders and firmly rubbed the sore muscles that she found there. "Are you sure that you're okay with me being here?" she asked gently. "Because I can leave. If you really want to be alone, I can just go."

Andrea closed the fridge and pulled Sharon more fully into her arms. "I want you to be here," she murmured against Sharon's cheek. "I'm sorry. This is moving quickly for me and I'm -"

Sharon tried to step back but Andrea interrupted her movement.

"No, this is good." Andrea felt Sharon relax in her arms. "I appreciate the pace of things, physically. I mean, emotionally, this is going quickly for me."

"Me too," Sharon whispered, and for the first time since Andrea had known her, she sounded scared. She took half a step backwards so that she could look at Andrea properly.

"I'm not good at keeping secrets, so I'll just say it, I've fallen for you, completely. There's no turning back for me, and I just keep thinking that I'm going to wake up one day and find out that you've come to your senses and that this is too much, too difficult, that you could find someone easier to be with than a woman who's more than a decade older than you and who has two grown children and -"

"What? No!" Andrea said, "Sharon, I _want_ to be with you. I want to be a part of your life, all of it…" Andrea paused, "Fuck, did you think that I didn't tell you about my birthday because I didn't want to celebrate things like that with you?"

Sharon shrugged. "It had crossed my mind," she answered truthfully.

Andrea was devastated. "No, honey, no that's not why. I just... I'm an ass, okay? I get grumpy on my birthday, and I'm no fun to be around, and I didn't want you to have to put up with the task of cheering me up. Because, believe me, it is a task and-"

And then Sharon was kissing her again, sweet forgiveness in every brush of her lips against Andrea's, delicate affection in every tiny circle her thumb made across Andrea's cheekbone. Andrea felt her anger at herself and her guilt melt away with each deliberate peck until Sharon was nuzzling her jaw and whispering to her.

"It's my joy to cheer you up because I love you. So, for the record, I want to know when you're in pain or distress." Her words hung in the air for a moment before both women were softly giggling against one another.

Andrea's heart fluttered and she did the only thing she was capable of doing in that moment; she sought Sharon's lips again. _I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry_. She hoped that she could pour every ounce of her regret, and her love, into her kisses, that she could kiss and kiss Sharon until they moved backwards in time a full day and Andrea could therefore prevent every bit of pain and doubt that she'd caused.

She felt Sharon sigh against her lips. "I really do forgive you," she said, "so you really must stop looking so guilty, because it's far too adorable of a look on you."

Andrea chuckled. "I'll endeavour not to."

"Good. I don't know that I could handle -"

A loud, decisive knock interrupted them.

"Food," Andrea explained unnecessarily. She groaned inwardly at the unfortunate timing. She needed to hold on to Sharon for just a moment longer, to tell her what her body and her gestures had clumsily been trying to say for a while now.

"Don't you even dare try to stop me from paying for your birthday takeout," Sharon warned.

Andrea laughed in response. "I won't, I swear. I don't have a death wish." As Sharon walked away from her, she felt cold; she followed Sharon out into the hallway.

"Sharon?" Andrea called out as Sharon was just a few steps from the door. Sharon paused and looked back at her from her place in Andrea's narrow hallway. "I love you too, you know that, right?" she said, albeit, not as smoothly as she would have liked. Then again, nothing with Sharon seemed to go as smoothly as she would have prefered, yet it was all so much more wonderful than she could have hoped for.

She watched Sharon process her words, watch her understand and maybe find some amusement in Andrea's clumsy phrasing. _Enamoured_. No, she was not enamoured. Perhaps at first, yes, but it was beyond clear to Andrea that she ceased being enamoured with Sharon Raydor far sooner than she had planned. She was in love – that was the more that she'd sought to define. Love.

Sharon smiled beautifully at Andrea, and Andrea felt her understanding. "I do."


	7. Chapter 7

"It's broken."

Sharon bit back her laughter as Andrea spun around and regarded her with utter devastation.

"No," Andrea said, "that's not possible. It cannot be broken." She gripped her styrofoam a little harder and looked back at the coffee maker and its "Out of Order" sign, then to Sharon again, hoping that this might all be just one unfortunate practical joke.

Andrea's expression was a mixture of confusion and mourning. It was completely unfair how adorable that combination looked on her and her big, blue eyes. Were they not standing in the middle of Internal Affairs' breakroom, Sharon would be very tempted to kiss that look right off of her.

"I'm afraid that it is. But if you have some time, perhaps I can interest you in a coffee outside of my officers' breakroom? We certainly wouldn't want a member of the DA's office to harbour any ill feelings towards us because she broke - I mean, because our coffee maker has broken down," Sharon said quietly.

Andrea's cheeks turned pink and she checked the time on her wrist watch. "I have half an hour, lead the way," she responded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Andrea downed a quarter of her cup before clarifying, "For the record, I did not break your coffee maker."

Sharon sipped her tea quietly, offering Andrea no verbal response.

"I didn't," Andrea said defensively.

"I had someone come out to take a look at it today, it's been overused and it's out of warranty. The service man said he'd never seen such a beaten down machine before and didn't believe me that it was only three years old. I'll have to wait until next quarter's budget to request a new one for the breakroom," Sharon said.

"I'm sorry," Andrea offered.

"Don't worry," Sharon said, "I'll get it approved. I'm not worried about it. I am more worried about what you're doing to your body with all that caffeine on a daily basis," she laughed.

Andrea shrugged. "Eh, I'm fine. One vice isn't unreasonable. And I don't smoke, or drink that much, well, ever really. So of all the things I could be into…" she trailed off.

"How do you sleep at night?" Sharon wondered.

"Badly," Andrea admitted. She cleared her throat. 'I, uh, I toss and turn a lot. So, you know, I won't be offended if you kick me or throw a pillow at me."

"I can think of far more pleasurable ways to get you to settle down," Sharon gently responded, making them both blush.

The air around them was suddenly warmer, and for a moment, every other patron in the coffee shop seemed to disappear leaving only them and the mountain of want between them. This was happening more and more frequently, offhand comments and remarks about the part of their relationship that they'd yet to explore. It felt both natural and inevitable at this point. It was no longer so much a question of _if_ but of _when_ , when being when their schedules allowed them the time that they both craved.

"I'll have to work very hard to deserve - Gavin?" her last word was said incredulously.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favourite yet lately non-existent person!" Gavin exclaimed as Andrea sat up to hug him. "Honey, you look _good_!" he whispered into her ear, "Love looks good on you."

Sharon played nervously with the pockets of her blazer as she waited for Andrea to introduce her to Gavin, who Sharon also knew as _A Notorious Friend of Andrea Hobbs_.

"Gavin, this is Sharon. Sharon, this is my dear friend and eternal pain in my ass, Gavin," Andrea said, moments later.

"It's wonderful to meet you," Sharon gushed. "And I must thank you, now that we've formally met, for your fax last week. It was most helpful."

"Oh, but of course. I know how stubborn this one can be. I would ask you why on earth you're bothering with her, but then again I know what she looks like naked," he said, winking. "We used to nude sunbathe together in college, back when it was tres chic to have orange-bronze skin all over."

"Gavin," Andrea scowled, "You ass, sit down before I smack you."

Sharon giggled and offered Andrea an apologetic look. "Don't worry, I have a few embarrassing tales of trying to get that kind of coverage as well, except, well, my Irish heritage got me superficial burns all over some rather sensitive areas. It was a good lesson learned."

Andrea smiled gratefully at Sharon's attempt to make Andrea feel less like she was in the spotlight. Were Gavin not here, she would be tempted to offer to Sharon kisses all over any of her old wounds.

Gavin dragged a chair over from a nearby empty table and sat next to Sharon. "Please, do tell me about yourself, Andrea's too busy these days to call little old me."

Andrea watched, happily, as Sharon and Gavin traded information with one another. They each seemed to be genuinely keen on one another, and Andrea could not be filled with more gratitude. Sharon, thankfully, appreciated Gavin's raunchier, more risque style of humour and was able to give just as good as she got. And from nearly two decades of knowing Gavin, she could tell that he honestly approved of Sharon and wasn't just playing nice to make Andrea happy.

"You know Andrea, you should bring Sharon over to a little barbecue this weekend! Daniel and I just opened up our new pool and hottub and I can't think of who else I'd rather share it with first," Gavin said excitedly.

"That sounds lovely, Gavin, thank you," Sharon said. She looked at Andrea for confirmation that this was indeed okay.

"I'm free on Saturday," Andrea offered.

"Excellent!" Gavin said while clapping his hands together. "Come dressed casual for dinner, and liberally for the pool; bathing suit optional," he winked. "I have a delicious chardonnay that we just picked up from Napa Valley that I would love to share with you two ladies. Daniel is an amazing chef," he gushed, "that's why I've stayed with him all these years. He'll whip up something special for you."

"Oh, thank you, but I'll eat anything, really," Sharon said. "Please tell him not to go through any trouble."

"Oh, Sharon, are you kidding me? It has been nearly an entire decade since Andrea brought someone new over, please, let me have this small pleasure," he said as he reached out and grasped Sharon's hands.

"Daniel really is sinfully skilled in the kitchen," Andrea confirmed. "Let him do his thing. Your stomach will thank you." She knew it was pointless to try and talk Gavin and Daniel out of being their extravagant-selves, and, frankly, she didn't want to. They took every opportunity to celebrate life and it's small joys, and that was one of the main reasons why she loved and appreciated them both so dearly.

"I will leave you two to get back to looking at one another oh-so-longingly. I have a court date in twenty minutes," Gavin sighed. "It was lovely to meet you, Sharon," he said as he kissed Sharon on both cheeks. "Andrea, darling, I love this one," he said as he gave Andrea an extra long hug and kiss.

"He's quite extraordinary," Sharon said with a laugh as they both watched him exit the tiny cafe.

"That he is," Andrea conceded. "We've been friends a long time. We met in our first year at college and have been inseparable ever since. He came to live with me and my family for a year when his parents kicked him out after he came out to them. He still calls them mom and dad," Andrea remembered fondly.

"I'm so sorry. Have they come around?" Sharon asked.

Andrea shook her head solemnly. "No. He hasn't seen or spoken to them since. They legally disowned him, cut him out of their wills... He doesn't act like it, but he came from a rough home."

"And your family took him in?" Sharon asked, marvelling at how generosity seemed to be a Hobbs family trait.

"As my dad said at the time, 'I've already got three sons, why not add one more?' He and mom were great with me, never treated my girlfriends differently from my brothers' girlfriends. Though I think secretly he just wanted to have a son-in-law," Andrea laughed. "Not that he didn't respect anyone that my brothers and I brought home. But that's what Daniel is to him now. Gavin introduced my parents to him as his own when he realized that he wanted Daniel in his life forever, and they treat him like another son."

"Your family sounds wonderful," Sharon said. Her heart ached for Gavin, and she found herself feeling a rush of affection for Andrea's family. She thought of her own children, and wondered how any parent could both knowingly and purposely cut them out of their life.

Andrea reached across the table and grasped Sharon's hand. "They're pretty great," she admitted.

"Must be a family trait," Sharon mused, which made Andrea smile softly.

"While we're on the subject… It doesn't have to happen tomorrow, but I would really like to introduce you to them," Andrea said. "I mean, I kind of want you all to myself for a little bit longer, but eventually, I would really like it if you met them."

"All to yourself?" Sharon repeated, her tone giving away her amusement.

"I'm kind of selfish like that," Andrea said. "When I'm with you, I feel like time has stopped, but then when you're gone, I can't help but count down the seconds until I get to see you again."

Sharon licked her lips. "How about this: I promise that you can have me all to yourself for the next few weeks. After, we'll revisit the issue of us sharing one another with our families," she said, pausing momentarily, "because I want you all to myself for a little while longer as well before I introduce you to my children."

"I could get on board with that plan," Andrea said. "Not counting this weekend of course, since I already have to share you with Gavin and Daniel."

"Of course," Sharon said through a laugh. "Of course," she repeated as she brought Andrea's hand to her lips for a chaste kiss.


	8. Chapter 8

"Andrea, it is so good to see you!"

Andrea hugged Daniel fiercely as he opened the door for her and Sharon.

"This is Sharon," Andrea said as she extracted herself from Daniel's embrace.

Sharon was then treated to the same affectionate greeting. "We're all family here," Daniel said as he pulled her in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "It is so fantastic to finally meet you. Andrea's been naughty, keeping you all to herself for the last, what, month?"

"Two months," Sharon corrected as she stepped back from his arms. "It's lovely to meet you as well," she offered.

Daniel's hair was short, but there was no taming the tight deep brown curls that sprouted from all angles on his scalp. His eyes were the same rich colour, and his carefully groomed facial stubble nearly blended in with his bronzed skin.

"Oh my. Two months? Andrea Hobbs you bad girl, let the poor women out for some air once in a while!" he teased. He took Sharon by the arm and began touring her through their shared home while Gavin took Sharon's beach bag and led Andrea out to the pool.

"Be gentle with this one. I'm rather fond of her," Andrea said as they unpacked their towels and sunscreen.

Gavin waved her off. "Oh please. She'll be fine. She can hold her own against us." He watched with a critical eye as Andrea peeled her oversized bathing suit cover up off to reveal her dark blue tankini. "Looking good," he said with a wink.

Andrea scowled at him and then sobered up. "It's okay, right? Not too revealing?"

Gavin laughed. "I've seen much more," he reminded her. "It's fine. You've got a killer bod, hon. There is no shame in showing it off a little even if you and Sharon haven't, _you_ _know._ "

Andrea bit her lip nervously. "You don't think she'll care about…" Andrea discreetly pointed to the black and grey vines and blossoms that decorated her lower back. "She's just so... _classy,_ " Andrea explained nervously.

"Fuck that," Gavin laughed. "Everyone has ink these days. Trust me, I have a feeling that Ms. Classy will find it refreshing that her new lady has a slightly rebellious side. Speaking of," he said as he nodded towards the patio door where Sharon and Daniel were emerging from.

"You have a beautiful home, Gavin," Sharon said as she approached them. "I'm especially fond of your art collection."

"Thank you, I do pride myself on having good taste where beauty is concerned," he said and winked at Daniel, who rolled his eyes affectionately. "Why don't you and Andrea hop in the pool and cool off? Daniel and I were just finishing marinating the meat, and then we'll let it sit for a bit. Lunch will be ready in, oh, an hour and a half," he said as he consulted his watch.

"Can I help with anything?" Sharon offered as she began to untie the knots at the bust of her sarong.

"Yes, you can help us use this ridiculously oversized pool," Daniel chimed in. "Go on. We'll join you ladies in a few moments." Gavin and Daniel disappeared back into their home, leaving their two guests alone.

Unwilling to argue with her charming hosts any further, Sharon conceded and let her sarong pool at her waist before beginning to work on the knots at her hips.

"Sunscreen?"

She looked up to see Andrea staring very intently at her. "I'm fine, thank you. I applied some this morning before you picked me up." She let the rest of her sarong fall down to her ankles, revealing miles and miles of her incredible legs. She used the hair tie on her wrist to pull her thick auburn waves up in a neat ponytail, exposing her freckled shoulders and upper back to Andrea's hungry eyes. "See something that you like?" she teased as she rested her hands on her black lycra-covered hips.

Andrea's hands came to rest on top of Sharon's hands. "Uh huh," she said before risking a quick kiss. "Let's get in before they throw us in."

Sharon let Andrea lead her by the hand into the pool. She squeaked as the cool water hit her burning legs and stopped on the last step of the pool. "Cold," she hissed. "That is really cold."

Andrea looked back at her and smiled. "It's not that bad," she reasoned. "Come in slowly – your body will get used to it." She waited patiently as Sharon sunk into the water, inch by inch before finally squatting down low enough for her shoulders to be submerged. "Come here," Andrea gently requested; she pulled Sharon to her by the hips and held her close. "I'll keep you warm."

Sharon wrapped her arms around Andrea's neck and nuzzled her cheek. She allowed Andrea to guide them back and forth through the shallow end of the pool in silence for a few minutes. She closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the peaceful feeling of Andrea's arms around her, gently gliding them through the water. She could feel Andrea's heart beating steadily against her breast, could feel the calm, measured breaths that Andrea took against her neck. Eventually, she also felt Andrea's soft lips gently tickling the top of her bare shoulder. Sharon held on a little tighter at the contact and sighed contently.

"We're being watched," Andrea whispered, breaking their silence. "Those two, I swear."

Sharon pulled away from Andrea slightly to glance over at the window over the kitchen sink. There she saw their hosts doing a very bad job at pretending not to look over at them and giggle. "They mean well," she said. It really didn't bother her that they were so interested in seeing her and Andrea together; she could tell that it came from a place of love and worry for the woman in her arms who was more of a sister to them than simply a friend. "I might be a little jealous if they were staring just at you," she joked.

"Oh?" Andrea asked.

"Mmmhmm. I don't share," Sharon said seriously. She let her hands slide down Andrea's body to caress her sides and lower back. She could feel Andrea's skin breakout in goosebumps at the contact and she was more than a little thrilled that her touch could elicit such a reaction. "By the way, do I get to hear the story behind this?" she asked as her fingertips tickled the delicate vines on Andrea's skin. She'd only caught a glimpse of it as Andrea had been leading her into the water, but the dark vines and tiny blossoms were a striking enough contrast to Andrea's pale skin to stand out even at a distance.

Andrea shivered and exhaled a barely-concealed moan. "Not much to it, really. I was twenty and loved the idea of getting a tattoo, but I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get the tribal armbands that everyone was getting because of my chosen career path. I had to pick a more discreet spot. In hindsight, I am really glad that I didn't pick my arm. None of those tribal tattoos aged well. On anyone," she said.

"I like it," Sharon said. "Are there any more that I get to hear about?" She eyed Andrea's body through the water and grinned. "Or do I get to discover those later?"

Andrea's hands wandered from Sharon's hips to cup her ass and pull her closer. "Just the one, sorry to disappoint," she murmured.

Sharon gasped as their bare legs touched for the first time. "That's unfortunate. I suppose I'll have to content myself on just the one," she whispered.

"I always told Andrea that she should get another one," Gavin said as he sat at the edge of the pool and gently splashed some water their way.

Andrea responded by poking his ankle harshly. "You are a terrible influence," she laughed. Sharon had let go of her and was lightly treading water nearby. Andrea leaned her head back and shook her head, letting her burning hot scalp and neck find some relief in the cool water.

"Oh please. I was wonderful! I brought you to the least sketchy tattoo shop in all of San Francisco and personally grilled the artist before I let him put a needle to your skin," he reminded her.

Daniel crouched down next to him for a brief kiss before slipping into the water. "Fuck, Gavin, we need to turn the heater on," he shrieked as he emerged from the water.

Gavin protested, "We live in LA, where there is absolutely no shortage of heat. This pool is our relief. I refuse to feel sweaty here too."

Andrea dipped her head in the water again and smoothed her hair out so that it fell in thick chunks over her neck and shoulders, leaving her face free to soak up the sun's generous warmth. She wasn't so much an active participant as she was a happy bystander to the chatter that bounced freely between her companions around her.

Even when their conversation followed them as they relocated from the pool to the patio furniture by the barbecue, Andrea was content to stay mostly silent and allow Sharon to take the lead in their discussions. She marvelled at how perfectly Sharon fit into the familiar banter that Andrea had spent years building with Gavin and Daniel, and, more importantly, how natural it felt to think of herself as Sharon's other-half, and vice versa. It felt more like a reflex than a conscious thought when she slipped her arm around Sharon's shoulders and drew her close to gently kiss her forehead as they listened to Daniel recount his latest adventure on the hiking trails nearby. And it felt like homecoming when Sharon's arm draped across her lap to gently and rhythmically trace her thumb over top Andrea's knee.

Everything just felt so _right_ , so unhurried, so unburdened with Sharon, so much so that when Sharon's limbs began to get heavy with drowsiness and her head leaned a little more firmly on Andrea's shoulder, it felt like the most natural thing in the world to wrap her up even tighter in her embrace on their shared lounge chair. It was only until Sharon blinked rapidly a few times, then stretched and kissed Andrea's cheek, quietly expressing her exhaustion that Andrea let her go to help them both up and bid their generous hosts a good evening.

As Andrea pulled out of Gavin and Daniel's driveway, she felt Sharon's hand slip back to its place on her upper thigh.

"Thank you for today. I had a wonderful time," Sharon said softly. She yawned then and apologized for her exhaustion. "It's been a long time since I spent that many hours out in the sun. I think it zapped my energy completely."

"I'll have you back at your condo in half an hour," Andrea promised, "You can go to bed and sleep in tomorrow. I won't bother you before noon."

Sharon kissed Andrea's shoulder for her thoughtfulness. "Your place is only ten minutes from here," she said softly. A heavy silence fell between them and Sharon misinterpreted Andrea's lack of a response. "I'm sorry, nevermind me."

They came to a red light and Andrea took one hand off of the steering wheel to cover Sharon's hand with. She turned her head to face Sharon and asked breathlessly, "Would you like to spend the night with me?"

"Nothing has to happen," Sharon said quickly. "I'm just not ready to say goodbye to you just yet. I would love to spend tonight with you."

Andrea quickly covered Sharon's lips with her own. Their hands stayed intertwined in Andrea's lap, and Sharon's other hand gently cupped Andrea's jaw. Andrea pulled away abruptly to check the light just as it switched back over to green again.

"Sorry, I didn't want to attempt that in traffic," she apologized.

Sharon hummed and rested her head on Andrea's shoulder again and looked down at her hand in Andrea's lap. The thought struck her that there wasn't a more beautiful image than the sight of their bodies connected in some way.

Streetlights illuminated their respective bare skin, casting a shadow where Sharon's hand collided with Andrea's smooth thigh. She felt her head become heavy and allowed her eyes to fall shut, safe in the knowledge that Andrea would gently wake her when they arrived at her home.


	9. Chapter 9

"You look good in my shirt."

Sharon's legs became weak as she felt Andrea place her hands on either side of her hips before nuzzling her shoulder where the oversized tshirt had fallen to reveal her freckled skin. It took everything for her to not collapse onto Andrea's kitchen floor and bring the blonde down with her in a frenzied kiss.

As she had expected, Andrea had gently woken her when they pulled into the driveway last night and led her into the now-familiar townhouse. Sharon's nerves had returned slightly when she emerged from Andrea's bathroom, wearing her borrowed sleepwear, to find Andrea already reclined in bed. Her nerves disappeared, however, the moment that she crawled into the bed and felt Andrea's strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her close. Sharon had pillowed her head on Andrea's breast and wedged her legs between Andrea's; were they not both so exhausted they no doubt would have found the friction of skin on skin to be far more arousing than it had been comforting.

Sharon had woken this morning at a quarter past nine to find that they hadn't moved an inch from the position that they had fallen asleep in, despite Andrea's prior warning about her restless sleeping pattern. It had been tremendously trying to leave the bed, and her still-sleeping love in it, but she'd be damned if she didn't at least attempt to surprise Andrea with breakfast in bed.

"Good morning," Sharon said as she turned around in Andrea's embrace and cupped Andrea's sleepy face framed by slightly wet hair. "Are you even fully awake yet?" she laughed.

"I don't wake up until after my coffee. Cold water doesn't wake me up so much as it freshens me up," Andrea kissed Sharon gently. "Mmm, you taste like coffee," she said.

"I've made a whole pot. I was trying to make you pancakes as well, but I was interrupted you see," Sharon explained as she stepped away from Andrea long enough to fetch her a cup of coffee.

Andrea took the offering gratefully and greedily drank from it.

"Are you going to even want pancakes, or just more coffee?" Sharon asked amusedly.

"Coffee is good," Andrea grunted.

Not feeling particularly hungry herself, Sharon brought her cup with her to sit down next to Andrea at the kitchen table. For a few minutes, they enjoyed one another's company in blissful silence. Sharon noted that Andrea seemed to come alive with each sip of the beverage until she drained the cup and looked at her with bright, clear eyes.

"Did you sleep okay?" Andrea asked as she reached across the table to grasp Sharon's hand.

"Yes, thank you."

Both women traded sheepish glances and then looked down at their respective cups of coffee, wearing mutual grins. A comfortable silence fell between them, long enough for Andrea to set down her empty cup and sigh happily.

"Do you have any plans for today?" she asked.

"No, I hadn't planned on anything specifically," Sharon responded.

Andrea chewed her lower lip nervously. "Would you like to spend the day with me? I was going to maybe be a beach bum for a bit. Care to join me?"

"I would love to," Sharon said brightly. "Do you think that maybe I can hijack your shower first?"

"Of course," Andrea said.

She led Sharon to her master bathroom and pointed out where she kept her her toiletries, insisting that Sharon help herself to anything that she wanted. She left her then to retrieve some extra towels, knowing that the one that was currently in her bathroom would not be enough for Sharon if she also wanted to wash her hair.

"Here," Andrea said as she made her way back into the bathroom. "These aren't as large as that one, but you can use them for–" She abruptly stopped mid-sentence when she looked up from the stack of towels she was carrying and her eyes landed on Sharon. She had already removed her clothing and was holding the towel wrapped around her body.

"Andrea?"

"Um, I'll just leave these here," Andrea murmured as she quickly placed the extra towels on the countertop.

Sharon followed Andrea with her eyes and then studied her intently. There was a slight flush decorating Andrea's cheeks and chest, a familiar look in her eyes. Sharon could discern the dark look for what it was. Desire. Need. Longing. She felt those same impulses reflected in herself, felt their keen sting and magnetic pull, and she knew with the utmost clarity that she no longer needed to bury them.

"Do you need anything else?" Andrea asked, her voice not as steady as she had hoped it would be.

She nervously tucked her hair behind her ears and willed her eyes to stay put on Sharon's face, not allowing herself to let them drop any lower. Memories of how Sharon's petite body had felt curled up against hers just a mere hour ago flooded her senses, the warm sensation that she had felt with Sharon pressed to her own body recreating itself in the pit of her belly. It had been easy to ignore that ever-present desire due to her physical exhaustion, easy to enjoy simply being wrapped up in the other woman as they rested. But now? Now she was filled to the brim with overlooked passion, and it was threatening to spill forward and drown her.

"Come here," Sharon requested softly.

She waited quietly as Andrea shifted on her feet, focusing on her face in a way that Sharon could tell was taking a great amount of effort. She could see the very slight hesitation, but the signs of desire did not leave. As though coming to a decision, Andrea then walked over to Sharon with sure steps. They were close enough to touch when she came to a stop, only a few inches away from each other. Sharon took a deep breath, still clutching her towel above her breast. However, as she exhaled, she slowly loosened her hold on the towel and let it fall down to the floor.

For a moment, it felt like the air had been sucked out of Andrea's modestly sized bathroom. She felt a sudden tightness in her chest as Sharon's body was bared to her, lean lines and soft curves. For the first time, Andrea could see that the freckles on the top of Sharon's shoulders and collar also covered her full breasts and stomach.

"This is an invitation," Sharon said quietly after a few moments of silence, "in case I wasn't being obvious enough."

"I want you," Andrea said, her voice shaky. It had been a long, agonizing year since she'd felt a touch other than her own bringing her to completion. Her fingers twitched. Her muscles felt stiff with fear and uncertainty while her mind raced through all the motions she _should_ be taking, and had already taken many times with others in her adult life. A sobering thought came to the surface of her mind: this would be the last lover Andrea would ever take. Rather than feel panicked at the reality of it, Andrea felt oddly calm. Yet still, her body did not budge; it was lightyears behind the pace of her mind.

Sharon seemed to sense the tension between Andrea's body and mind. She reached out one of her hands and slowly caressed Andrea's cheek, her skin cooler than that which she lovingly touched. When she felt the harsh blow of air that left Andrea's mouth, she leaned forward and slowly brushed her lips across the same spot her thumb had just touched. She flicked her eyes over to Andrea's and used her lips to map out the much-loved territory of Andrea's jawline and neck. As her mouth traveled across heated skin, her hands anchored themselves on Andrea's hips.

She rubbed against Andrea's face with her own, with her lips, her nose, wanting to be connected to her in every way possible. "Touch me," she whispered, her lips moving against Andrea's jaw.

Her words seemed to break through something in Andrea, for the blonde turned her head and captured Sharon's lips in a kiss that made Sharon feel as though she was being devoured. A moan formed in her throat and delicious, knee-weakening pleasure threatened to consume her. The very thought of that happening, being consumed by the immense pleasure she was already feeling because of Andrea, only doubled the effect she had on her. When Andrea's hands found their familiar place on Sharon's waist and pulled their bodies together so that the only barrier between them was Andrea's thin cotton shirt, she felt an arousing warmth bloom deep down inside of her.

Sharon's hands were frantic. Once Andrea had pulled them close, Sharon knew she had no reason to downplay her desire to explore Andrea's body. She mapped out the expanse of Andrea's shoulders, arms, hips, and lower back. Her hands were everywhere at once, and yet they stayed nowhere for more than a fleeting moment. She wanted everything, all of Andrea. She wanted to feel every exquisite inch of skin beneath the forty-eight nerve endings in the tips of her fingers and the palms of her hands. She felt her frustration double each time she encountered cotton, needing the barrier gone. She needed to have her hands on what the shirt covered, needed to know nothing but the weight of Andrea's body pressed on top of hers, the silky feeling of skin, the sweetness of Andrea's scent as it surrounded her.

Andrea's lips moved from Sharon's mouth and began to reacquaint themselves with Sharon's neck and collar. She could feel the vibrations from Sharon's tiny sighs and whimpers of pleasure against her face as her tongue traced the fine lines of the tendons and bones that lurked beneath the surface of Sharon's skin.

"Bed, now," Andrea grunted. She pulled back only enough to look behind her and back them both out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, not wanting to separate from Sharon for even a moment. "I love you," Andrea whispered as the backs of her legs hit the end of her bed.

"I love you too," Sharon said frantically, tugging at Andrea's tank. She practically tore the thin material in her haste to remove it from Andrea's body, and the impatience she presented in that moment remained as she yanked Andrea's boxers down her legs.

She pushed Andrea gently so that the blonde fell backwards and onto the bed. The motion pulled Sharon down with her, Andrea's refusal to let go of Sharon's hips making them collide with each other as they landed heavily on the grunted slightly but easily started adjusting themselves. Andrea scooted backwards on the bed and Sharon followed, crawling over Andrea's body but finding herself suddenly being flipped over. Her breath rushed out as Andrea's warm palms slid up her arms and she gradually lowered her body down toward Sharon's, pinning Sharon down to the mattress beneath the weight of her.

The top of Andrea's thigh fit snugly between her legs, and she did not bother holding back her appreciative moan when their bodies connected further. Her body rocked slightly, towards her lover's toned muscles and feminine curves, against the strong thigh that she soon felt meeting the subtle thrusts of her hips. Delighted by the friction that she felt against her aching clit, Sharon released a soft moan while tossing her head back.

Andrea's lips flew back to Sharon's neck, this time with both more force and deliberation as she applied the recently discovered knowledge of the places that Sharon most loved being kissed: her neck, her jaw, that delicious spot just beneath her felt Sharon's hands fly to her head and shoulders, the blunt nails raking across her skin and their fingers tugging at her hair as Andrea's mouth worshiped the skin beneath her.

"Goddamit, _fuck_."

Sharon's grunts filled Andrea's ears like sweet music. She had certainly hoped that her lover would be vocal, but her highest hopes had not prepared her for just how responsive and loud Sharon was when she was being touched and kissed.

Sharon's hands were firm on Andrea's shoulders. She tried not to tug too forcefully, but every movement of Andrea's tongue against her neck, her collar… her… _fuck._

"Andrea!" she cried out as Andrea's lips closed around one of her nipples.

Her grip on Andrea's shoulders tightened, ending her efforts to remain gentle. Andrea's tongue and lips were working the sensitive bud mercilessly while her other hand squeezed and pinched the other. Sharon did not hold back her cries of pleasure, nor did she stay still. Her hips rolled and bucked against Andrea's strong thigh, coating the skin with her wetness. Her hair was matted and sweaty already, and Andrea hadn't even properly fucked her yet.

Andrea's mouth let go of Sharon's nipple with a loud pop. "You taste so good," Andrea murmured against the wet flesh. "I can't wait to taste the rest of you."

"Yes," Sharon hissed. She wanted that, wanted Andrea's eager, talented mouth on her center. She wanted Andrea's tongue lapping at her clit. Sharon wanted it all.

Her back arched and her breast was pushed back into Andrea's open mouth. Andrea gently blew a puff of air on it and watched, delighted, as goosebumps broke out around the pebbled nipple.

Andrea hastily brushed her hair out of her eyes so that she could see Sharon properly. Her chest was flushed, heaving, and wet from Andrea's mouth. Her hair was a glorious mess. Her eyes were dark, and she was breathing heavily. Andrea scooted backwards on the bed, the action removing her thigh from the heaven between Sharon's legs, and encouraged Sharon to spread those long, lean limbs apart for her.

She reached for a pillow and gave it to Sharon. "Here, get comfortable, because I'm going to be a while."

Sharon felt a delicious throb at her center accompany Andrea's words. All those months of desperately wanting, waiting, were worth it just to hear those words spill from Andrea's lips.

Sharon took the pillow and placed it beneath her to support her lower back and lift her hips. Through her lust-hazed mind, a thought occurred to her. "This is strangely unfair. I've barely touched you," Sharon groaned.

Andrea settled between Sharon's legs and started mouthing at the skin of her inner thigh. "I'll let you do whatever you want to me, I promise. First, I need to taste you. I've been driving myself crazy for months imagining what you taste like." Andrea's tongue fluttered against Sharon's sweat-slicked skin, drawing nearer and nearer to her red,visibly wet lips. "What you might sound like when I put my mouth on you." She could feel the heat coming from Sharon's center. She could smell her arousal; it made her mouth water. "What it feels like to have you coming in my mouth," she groaned.

Her tongue swept across Sharon's folds for the first time, and both women shuddered at the contact. Andrea tasted her rich flavour and groaned. "You taste even better than I could ever imagine," Andrea whispered.

Sharon responded by moaning and lifting her hips up to grind against Andrea's mouth.

Andrea moved from the bottom to the top of Sharon's sex, her tongue flat and broad across her open labia. She fluttered her tongue over that expanse, again and again, each time coming just shy of Sharon's clit.

Sharon's head hit the pillow beneath her as she let out a frustrated sob, her hips raising again in a desperate attempt to guide Andrea where she wanted her. She needed more, needed to feel more than what felt like an intentional tease from Andrea's talented mouth. "More," she moaned, beseeching her lover. "More!" she repeated as Andrea narrowly missed her clit again.

Andrea's tongue moved upwards again, and this time she flicked the tip of it against Sharon's clit, drawing a loud moan from her lover. She wiggled on the mattress. She could feel her own sex grow swollen and wet with desire as she looped her tongue around Sharon's clit in deliberate, firm circles.

Sharon's nails dug into the muscles of Andrea's upper back. Her legs were spread wide open, and her hips and lower back were taut with tension as Andrea's tongue worked against her heated flesh. She could see Andrea's hips shifting and her perfect ass wiggling in the air and was once again reminded that she had not yet been allowed to touch any of that delicious skin on display for her.

"Come here," she panted. And with great effort, Sharon tugged Andrea upwards. Her lips were swollen and her cheeks were red. The entire lower half of her face was wet with Sharon's juices, and Sharon was more than turned on by it.

"You okay?" she asked worriedly. "Did I do something wrong?"

Her eyes were dark with lust, yes, but they also shined with unfiltered adoration, and Sharon fell in love with her just a little bit more. Wanting to assure Andrea that she was all right, Sharon brought their lips together and kissed her, hard. When the worry fled her body, Sharon ran her fingers up Andrea's sides and around to her perfect, petite breasts. She cupped them in her hands and felt the vibration of a deep moan against her lips as she squeezed. It made her want more, the sweet sound that her touch had inspired, made her want to give Andrea the same pleasure her own body was full of. That desire led to her guiding Andrea back onto the mattress so that she was on her side while Sharon continued fondling her breasts as they kissed.

"I wasn't done with you," Andrea chuckled against Sharon's mouth. Her hand wedged itself between them to caress Sharon.

Sharon's own hands faltered a little when Andrea began touching her. "I need to touch you," she breathed.

"Touch me. But I'm not going to stop touching you until you come," Andrea murmured. She lifted Sharon's leg and draped it across her hip, opening Sharon up for her inquisitive hand.

She felt silky and hot; her curls were damp and her clit was hard and begging to be touched. Andrea's index and middle finger moved up and down, caressing it on either side. On her downward stroke, she flexed and brought her fingers closer together to gently tug on the swollen flesh.

Sharon's eyes fluttered and her hair began to cling to the damp skin of her cheeks and neck. "Andrea… Don't stop," she moaned, giving in completely to the pleasure that Andrea's fingers were coaxing from her. Every nerve in her body was alight with pleasure, every muscle coiled tightly. "Fuck me. I need to come," Sharon whimpered. "Make me come."

Andrea's lips were on her jaw, her chin, her lower lip. "You feel so good," Andrea moaned. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you look right now? Wet and sweaty, letting me fuck you in my bed, begging for me to make you come. The most beautiful sight I've ever seen," Andrea whispered.

Andrea's fingers traveled lower until they were at Sharon's entrance. She let the tips of her fingers play in the pool of wetness that they found, and she was delighted in how Sharon's muscles contracted, how they begged for her to come inside.

"Do you want me inside of you?" Andrea asked against Sharon's damp neck. Not all of her lovers had enjoyed being penetrated, but she really hoped that Sharon did. She'd never wanted to feel a lover climaxing around her flesh as badly as she did in this moment.

"Yes," Sharon hissed.

Andrea's fingers glided inside of Sharon and she felt Sharon's muscles contracting happily around them. She was so wet, and her internal muscles were so relaxed that Andrea knew it wasn't going to take much to get her to come. The thought thrilled her. Her fingers began a slow and steady rhythm and located Sharon's g-spot within moments. The pads of her fingers grazed it every time they plunged in and out of her, and she felt Sharon's body begin to shake with impending release.

"I want you to come for me," Andrea breathed against Sharon's neck. She nudged a lock of damp hair away from Sharon's ear. She angled her hand so that the heel of her palm was grinding against Sharon's clit, and she fucked her lover with purpose. "I want you to come… now."

Sharon's head snapped back and she felt a flash of heat suffuse her body. Ripples of pleasure slid down her limbs to collide at her very core before they exploded and then ricocheted off to the tips of every limb again. She felt Andrea's hand working relentlessly to coax every last spark of pleasure from her until she collapsed, boneless, weeping, and breathless.

When the haze of her orgasm subsided, she found Andrea nuzzling her breasts and squirming. Her toned thighs were taut and locked, trembling with the desire to be spread and for her pleasure to be extorted.

Sharon sat up slightly and ignored the way her head spun. She could feel cool air rush to the back of her head where her hair was most damp with sweat. Andrea wiggled backwards to give her some space. She sat back on her legs and grinned at Sharon.

"I lied earlier. That, just now, that was the most beautiful sight I've ever seen," Andrea said. Her breathing was ragged and heavy, and she looked like she might burst if Sharon did not touch her soon, yet, she didn't move from her position.

"I love you," Sharon sighed. "And I was promised that I could do whatever I wanted with you. So get your sweet ass over here right now so I can show you just how much I love you."

Andrea crawled back towards Sharon and climbed into her lap. Sharon's hands cupped and squeezed her ass, pulled her closer so that her wetness grazed Sharon's lower stomach. "What would you like to do to me, hmm?" Andrea asked. Her voice was shaky but not with fear – she trusted Sharon implicitly.

Sharon let out a breathy laugh and admitted, "It's a long list."

"Tell me," Andrea encouraged.

"I want to taste you," she said, running her fingers across Andrea's skin. "Fuck you," she continued, flicking her eyes up to meet Andrea's when the younger woman groaned. "I want to feel you grinding against my skin, hot and wet because of me. I want to feel you come in, on, and around me." She let out another chuckle. "God, you have no idea how badly I want to feel you come."

In her arms, Andrea shuddered. "I might have some idea," she said.

"Tell me what you want," Sharon pleaded. She dipped her head to suck one of Andrea's nipples into her mouth. "Mmm, please, tell me how you want me to make you come," she whispered.

"M-mouth. Your mouth," Andrea stuttered. The suction of Sharon's mouth on her breast was almost too much to handle at the moment. She was so wound up that if she shifted in Sharon's lap the wrong way she was going to come, and she would be damned if she came before treating herself to living out her much longed-for fantasty of Sharon's mouth.

Sharon seemed to sense her predicament, because she was efficient in getting Andrea on her back again and making them both comfortable in their respective positions. Sharon tossed her riotous hair over her shoulder and put her lips and tongue over Andrea's entire sex. Her tongue teased Andrea's entrance by circling her contracting muscles and spreading her moisture around her labia; her lips gently caressed Andrea's throbbing clit.

Andrea's hands flew up to grip her headboard. She was so wound up from making love to Sharon that she was going to come in an embarrassingly short amount of time. She let the sharp corners of her headboard bite into the palms of her hands and hoped that it might distract her from the urge to come _right fucking now_ before Sharon had even really done anything.

Sharon backed off a bit, literally. "Why are you so afraid to let go?" she asked gently. "I want to feel you come."

Andrea's eyes connected with Sharon's, and she felt her clit throb again when she saw the lust in her lover's eyes. "Too soon. Gonna come too soon," she grunted, and then she flushed with embarrassment.

Sharon leaned back into Andrea's sex and fluttered her tongue across the hood of Andrea's clit. "I love that you're so close already. I love that fucking me made you this wet. Please, let go," she murmured. She drew the swollen nub into her mouth and sucked it gently for a few seconds, then released it.

Andrea's hands let go of her headboard and fell down to touch Sharon's upper back. She nodded feverishly. "Please," she whimpered.

Sharon drew her clit into her mouth again and sucked harder, swirling her tongue around the tiny organ. She felt Andrea's legs begin to shake on either side of her head. She heard Andrea's hoarse cries from above. She tasted Andrea's pleasure as her lover finally let go.

Andrea felt her orgasm slam into her. Down, down, down she fell. She spiraled into an ocean of pleasure, vicious in its ferocity and unwavering in its power, until Sharon pulled her back to shore.

"I'm here, beautiful. I'm here. I love you so much," Sharon cooed as she smoothed Andrea's hair down and rubbed the damp skin beneath her eyes. It was then that Andrea realized that she had been crying.

Sharon had crawled back up her body and was now holding her as they lay back on their sides. Slowly, she felt herself floating back into the present.

"I love you," she whispered as Sharon held her close and smoothed down her frizzed out hair.

Sharon smiled against Andrea's forehead and her lips kissed the sweaty flesh a dozen times in a row. "I know, honey. I love you too."

Their bodies began to cool, and soon both women were shivering again. Sharon sought the covers, which had been kicked down to the bottom of the bed, and covered them both.

Andrea allowed herself to be held and caressed by Sharon as she clung to her lover; Sharon's hands gently combed out the knots in her hair and soothed the red skin of her upper back. Her lips stroked the crown of her head and soon, Andrea began to feel the effects of their exertion.

"I'm falling asleep," she said, breaking their peaceful silence.

"Me too," Sharon hummed. "Instead of beach bums, let's just be lazy bums for now, okay?"

Andrea smiled against Sharon's collar. "I like that," she said, and then drifted off, safe in Sharon's embrace.


	10. Chapter 10

"You frown in your sleep."

Sharon kissed Andrea's forehead and smiled against the faint lines beneath her lips.

Andrea grumbled something unintelligible and wiggled closer to Sharon.

"Yes you do," Sharon softly laughed, knowing that Andrea's grunts were an attempt at protesting. Her fingers combed through the messy blonde hair and applied pressure to Andrea's temples. She worked her fingers across her lover's scalp and was pleased to see that her touch had Andrea arching her back and sighing happily.

"How are you awake?" Andrea moaned. "We just went back to sleep."

"We went back to sleep two hours ago. It's almost noon," Sharon corrected.

Andrea cracked one eye open and frowned again. "S'not possible," she argued. She closed her eye and rolled over onto her back. Her arms reached above her head and her toes flexed downwards; the movements filled her bedroom with soft grunts and cracks as her back adjusted itself. "I don't feel like I slept an extra two hours," she sighed.

Sharon propped her head up on her bent arm. "That's because we gave one another a fabulous workout, one that our bodies aren't used to. Well, at least one that we haven't been used to in quite some time," Sharon amended.

"I could get used to it," Andrea said casually. She looked insufferably pleased with herself as she looked up at Sharon and grinned. Sharon's neck and collar were slightly red still from the attention she had given them earlier. Her beautiful auburn hair resembled something very close to a bird's nest, and on her face was the most relaxed, serene smile Andrea had never seen her wear.

"What?" Sharon asked amusedly. She blushed deeply as Andrea's grin continued to widen.

Andrea shrugged. "It's just that I really like waking with you. I normally hate mornings. Loathe them, really. With you though, I have something to look forward to."

Sharon hummed. She felt happiness bubble up in her chest in a way that it hadn't done in many years. She felt weightless, like she could float away at any moment.

Andrea shifted so that she could reach Sharon's lips and draw her lover in for a sweet kiss. She felt Sharon smile, felt her giggle vibrate against her mouth before Sharon fell back onto the pillow in a giggle fit. "Have I mentioned yet that you are insufferably adorable in the morning? And very, very pretty. Gorgeous. Breathtakingly so." Andrea said as she leaned down to tenderly kiss Sharon's warm, pink cheeks and chin.

Sharon's fingers combed through Andrea's thick hair to tuck it behind her ears. "I'm very pleased that you think so," she said brightly. "Are you going to spend the day saying sweet things to me?" she asked.

Andrea nuzzled Sharon's neck and she sighed against the soft skin. Despite their vigorous morning activities, and yesterday's adventure in Gavin and Daniel's pool, she could still detect the faintest scent of Sharon's perfume. She rubbed her nose against Sharon's pulsepoint and inhaled deeply. "God you smell so good," she murmured.

Sharon laughed out loud and wrapped her arms around Andrea's upper back. "I suppose that's a yes, then."

"We can spend the day however you like," Andrea said as her tongue flicked out to taste Sharon's skin. "I will happily spend the day making love to you, telling you everything I adore about you, or if you get bored of that, I'll let you kick me out of my own house," she joked.

Sharon's hands kneaded Andrea's upper back and she groaned appreciatively at the sensations that Andrea's mouth was creating. "Mmm, not that I haven't enjoyed our little detour from the beach, I was rather looking forward to going there."

Andrea smiled against Sharon's neck. "I was rather looking forward to seeing you in that bathing suit again." She hissed as Sharon pinched her shoulder for her remark.

Sharon wrinkled her nose. "It's full of chlorine. I can't wear it."

Andrea gave Sharon's neck one last lingering kiss before propping herself up on her bent arms above Sharon. "How about I drive you to your place so that you can change into beachwear, and then we'll go over for a late afternoon stroll? Hmm?"

Sharon bit her lip and her eyes glinted mischievously. "Deal, but first, I'm going to insist that you finish what you were just starting," she said.

Andrea's laughter was bright and loud as Sharon reached up to pull Andrea down, then under her as she flipped their warm bodies over on Andrea's rumpled sheets.

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Sharon kept sneaking glances over at Andrea as they sat in a comfortable silence on Sharon's beach towels. A part of her couldn't believe her luck that she was here as the other half of an achingly sweet embrace in the middle of the busy beach. Andrea's arm around her was strong yet soft at the same time; her skin felt warm and silky and so _right_ against Sharon's shoulders. The occasional kiss that Andrea would lean over to place to Sharon's temple sent shivers up and down her spine as they were reminiscent of the kisses that Andrea gave to her just a mere two hours ago when she was coming down from the euphoric high of their lovemaking.

Even now Sharon's body yearned to connect with her lover. Her skin prickled at the memory of Andrea's soft weight on top of her. Her lips tingled as they remembered the ferocity of Andrea's kiss. Her thighs quivered, and her sex clenched as she recalled the ecstasy of Andrea's generous hands and mouth. More than anything, Sharon craved the precious seconds in which Andrea's euphoria peaked and her entire body and mind exploded with pleasure. She wanted to slip into those moments at random and just exist only within them with her lover. She wanted to be overwhelmed by it, consumed by it; the irony of how self destructive it sounded certainly wasn't lost on her, but she didn't care. In fact, she craved that self-destruction in equal parts.

"Do you want to move to the shade?" Andrea's words against her ear were a welcome cool breeze against her heated skin.

Sharon licked her lips and shook her head. Andrea had obviously seen the beads of sweat on her face and neck along with the crimson flush that painted her cheeks and come to the conclusion that Sharon's body was intolerant of the heat. She was wrong of course. Her body welcomed the flame of desire that Andrea so effortlessly inspired in her, craved it, needed it. It was beyond something as simple as sexual fulfillment. Her need transcended the needs of living flesh; it transcended life and flesh themselves entirely.

"What's going on in that brilliant mind of yours, hmm?" Andrea asked.

Sharon turned her head and nudged her lover's nose with her own. Her gaze shifted from Andrea's lips to her eyes and she smiled. "All the things that I want to do with you," she said cryptically.

"With me or to me?" Andrea laughed quietly. However her laughter died when she noticed the way that Sharon's brow furrowed.

"Both?" Sharon offered. She reached for Andrea's hand in her lap and laced their fingers together. How could she possibly explain the intensity of her love, the ferocity of it, the depth of it to Andrea? How could she put into words abstract concepts that her own mind couldn't fully measure?

"Just say the word and I'll drive us back to my place. Or yours. Wherever," Andrea promised.

Sharon's thumb traced the delicate outline of Andrea's veins in her wrist. She could feel Andrea's pulse race and her skin warm considerably. "Will we spend the weekend there?" she asked.

"If you want," Andrea answered.

"I think that might make it harder for me to go to bed alone come Monday," Sharon said. She felt Andrea's arm around her shoulders tighten and her body folded into Andrea's. Andrea's lips brushed against her temple again and she felt her heart flutter.

"I love you. That hasn't changed," Andrea whispered.

"I know," Sharon said. "But are you still afraid at the pace of things?"

"No," Andrea said quickly. "I thought that I might be, but I'm not." She paused and swallowed hard. "When we were driving over to your place earlier, I was thinking that maybe I should empty out a drawer for you at my place so we could keep a few of your things there. And the words almost left my mind but I stopped myself. I wasn't scared, and I'm still not, because nothing has ever felt this right to me before. And yet something still stopped me. Something is hanging over my head, telling me that I should be terrified. A year ago I didn't even know you, and now...now I can't imagine going a single day without seeing you, kissing you, telling you that I love you."

Sharon let out a shaky breath. "I can't imagine that either. I don't want to," she said.

Understanding passed between them as their gazes locked and they allowed the depths of their souls to pass messages back and forth.

"You don't have to," Sharon said.

A million what-ifs ran through Andrea's mind. Their jobs. Their bosses. Their coworkers. Sharon's children. Andrea's family. The restrictive laws of their country. Though these were not all necessarily obstacles, they were indeed people and scenarios that they would be forced to deal with sooner perhaps than either woman wanted to.

"We'll deal with it," Sharon said, sensing where Andrea's mind was racing off to. "And for the record, I'm not worried about any of it. If you're by my side, I'm not worried about facing anything."

Sharon's hand cupped Andrea's face as she brought their lips together. The moment that their bodies connected, the outside world seemed to disappear all around them. The chatter of people, the restlessness of the ocean, it all became white noise which paled in comparison to the thudding of blood in Andrea's ears and the sound of Sharon's heart fluttering wildly. Even as Sharon pulled away, all Andrea knew was her, them. The world around them was a pale weak sketch compared to the bursting kaleidoscope of colour that was the merging of their two lives.

"Neither am I," Andrea said. She felt weightless and yet grounded at the same time. "Neither am I," she repeated.


End file.
